


Unexpected

by lovelunarchron



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, POV of Kai and Thorne, Romance, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 13:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 85,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5093141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelunarchron/pseuds/lovelunarchron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Used to his best friend's antics, Kai is hardly thrilled to meet Thorne's next flavor of the month. But his life takes an unexpected turn when the pretty mechanic he's interested in catches Kai's interest instead. Meanwhile, Thorne is in for some surprises of his own when his attentions shift to a sexy dancer he meets at a Masquerade.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**KAI**

His car window began to fog up as he stared out at the passing buildings. The condensation from his breath wasn't mixing well with the freezing temperatures outside. A storm was apparently heading their way, and the number of salt trucks out on the road made it seem like this could be a big one. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine a blanket of snow covering the city streets. The thought didn't comfort him. No one around here knew how to drive in the snow, so traffic would likely be a nightmare tomorrow. He sighed, and continued to stare blankly at the tall buildings.

"Is everything okay, Sir?"

Kai tore his gaze from the window. Torin was looking at him curiously in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," he mumbled, and turned back to the window. He felt rude for not wanting to engage in conversation with his father's private driver, but he was too irritated to care. His father was the one, after all, who had insisted that Torin drive him around this morning. The idea of being chauffeured around like a celebrity had always made him feel like a snob. Plus, Kai missed driving his own car. He liked the idea of being able to go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. It was one of the only times that he felt free from all the weight and responsibility that lately threatened to crush him.

Unfortunately, he'd been pickpocketed last night, and they'd stolen his wallet, which of course included his driver's license. His father always thought it was beneath a person of Kai's status to drive himself, so of course he'd jumped at the opportunity to send over Torin when he'd heard that Kai wasn't able to drive himself. Torin had shown up late in the morning and offered to take him wherever he wanted to go. Kai had almost sent him away, but he'd developed a soft spot for the driver over the years and had a hard time acting ungrateful around him. Torin had always been kind to him, and he always stocked the car with Kai's favorite snacks, even though he barely rode with him anymore.

Torin began turning down a familiar road and Kai perked up a bit. He needed some cheering up after that disaster of a party last night. He desperately wanted some down time to just hang out and not worry about his life. He worried way too much. And if anyone could cheer him up now, it was his best friend, Thorne.

They'd first met at the same awkward socialite events that their parents had forced them to go to when they were younger. Thorne had also grown up in a rather affluent family, though his father had chosen the military route rather than the family business route, as Kai's father had. Despite their similar upbringings, the main difference between Kai and Thorne was that unlike Kai, Thorne didn't have any problem disappointing his parents. His dad had tried to get him to enlist in the army more than once, but he'd threatened to desert almost instantly if he were forced to join. And knowing Thorne, he'd have had no problem doing it either. His best friend wasn't exactly the prime example of someone with a straight moral compass. Quite the opposite, in fact. Kai didn't have enough fingers on his hands to count how many times he'd gotten in trouble because of Thorne.

Thorne no longer saw his parents much, as they had basically disowned him after a string of bad behavior during college. That bad behavior had resulted in him dropping out before the college could expel him. But Thorne hadn't been fazed by his parents' rage and attempt to change him; he'd simply announced that he hated their lifestyle anyway and wanted no part in it. He still tolerated Kai's lifestyle, though—since Thorne liked to say that Kai was only there as a hostage rather than a willing participant—but Kai knew that it was only out of loyalty that Thorne still came along to some of the social events that Kai dragged him to. And Kai only took Thorne along because he couldn't stand to be there by himself. Just like the party his family had thrown for him last night—which just happened to have been his birthday party.

As Kai walked up the steps, he remembered when Thorne had chosen to buy this particular apartment on the opposite side of the city. The commute made it harder for them to hang out as much these days, but Kai still spent a considerable amount of his time at Thorne's place, preferring its simplicity to his gigantic penthouse in the heart of the city. Ringing the doorbell, he waited, wondering if Thorne would even be awake at this hour. He'd gone out looking for a more exciting party after Kai's had ended, and he'd likely been out until the early hours. To his surprise, Thorne opened the door, looking wide-awake and well put together.

"Well if it isn't the birthday boy himself," said Thorne, clapping Kai on the shoulder before letting him in. "Twenty-six years old, brother! How's it feel?"

Twenty-six years old. Kai felt like he was forty. Good thing he had Thorne to remind him that he was supposed to be in his prime years.

"How are you so awake?"

Thorne shrugged. "I kind of crashed my car this morning when I was coming home. Had to take it to the shop."

Ah. If anything would get Thorne out of bed in the morning, it was the idea of his car having even the smallest scratch on it. "The Rampion's on its way out, then?"

Thorne clutched his heart. "Don't even joke about that, man! She's gonna stay with me forever."

Kai tried to suppress his smirk.

"And, as my incredible luck would have it, I met this chick at the shop. I think she's gonna take good care of my baby."

"You met a girl at the garage?" No wonder Thorne was in such a good mood. Kai had been to Thorne's preferred auto repair shop on many occasions, and he had never seen any women there before.

"Yeah, she's their newest employee, I guess. Name's Cinder, and apparently she's related to Mr. Linh somehow. Didn't catch the whole story yet."

Kai's eyes widened. " _The_ Mr. Linh, as in Garan Linh?"

Thorne nodded enthusiastically. "I know, right? Couldn't believe it myself. Maybe she traveled around with him when he used to race, and that's how she learned about fixing cars. I don't know. All the guys there said they've never seen anything like what she can do with cars. And let me tell you, Kai, she's pretty cute too."

Kai knew where this was going. "Next flavor of the month, then?"

"You know I like a girl who knows how to work on an engine." He winked, and Kai sat down on the couch, not wanting to acknowledge Thorne's crude joke. He didn't need any encouragement.

Thorne began describing the girl in detail, but Kai didn't pay a lot of attention. He knew he'd meet her eventually. Thorne was always open about the girls he dated—sometimes too open. He certainly had no problem bringing them back to his place, and since Kai spent most of free time hanging out with Thorne, often at his apartment, he'd met a lot of his "lady friends"—or so Thorne liked to call them.

Because Thorne didn't do girlfriends. He just never got interested in them enough to take it any further. Which in reality was a shame, because so many women wanted to be with him. He was like a magnet. Not that Kai had trouble attracting women either; he knew he could be charming if he wanted to, and no one could deny that he was rather good looking. But Thorne? Getting women to like him was like a special talent. He just had a way with them.

Usually Thorne's stories were quite entertaining, but at the moment Kai just didn't find it particularly interesting that Thorne had found a new girl on which to focus his attention. Suddenly, Thorne's presence just made him feel even more exhausted.

"I got her number," he said, when he had finished describing his interactions with Cinder.

"Good for you," said Kai, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"I think I'm going to invite her over tonight."

"Already?"

"Nah, not like that. Just to hang out, see if there's any spark." Kai was pretty sure that if Thorne wanted there to be a spark, there would be one.

"You should come too."

Kai groaned. "I'm not going to be your third wheel."

"Aww, come on, it won't be like that. I was planning on inviting some friends. I don't want this girl thinking I'm creepy. I'll tell her I'm having a party."

"Sounds like a plan." He was sure his face gave away his sarcasm even if he tried to hide it in his tone.

Thorne frowned. "You're not going to come, are you?"

"You know I hate parties. I do enough mingling as it is."

"Kai, you only hate parties because you go to the wrong _kind_ of parties. The people are fake," he began ticking off on his fingers, "arrogant, entitled, condescending…" He crossed his arms. "Technically, business functions shouldn't even be considered parties."

Kai couldn't have agreed more.

"Let's be honest. You're too serious. You work too much. And you need to get out in the real world more!"

True on all points. But still… "That's easy for you to say, since you're not inheriting a billion dollar company that you have to run."

Thorne eyed him suspiciously. "This isn't about Levana, is it?"

Kai immediately went on the defensive. "Levana! What? No, of course not."

"Kai, we've been over this. We've gotta get you away from her. _You know_ I appreciate how hott she is, but she's also the biggest bitch I've ever met."

Kai only slumped into the couch and ran his hands through his hair, wishing that he had never made the trek out to see Thorne this morning. This was the last thing he wanted to talk about. "If I agree to go to the party will you shut up about Levana?"

Thorne lit up, looking relieved. "Absolutely! But it's not really going to be a big party. Just a few friends, good food, new girl, you know."

Yeah, Kai knew. He'd been to Thorne's infamous parties many times, and he doubted that he could keep it small. But maybe Thorne was right. Maybe he just needed to get out of his head a bit.

* * *

Kai felt kind of stupid for having just worn his gray hoodie and jeans today. His hoodie was slightly worn and faded, and he was pretty sure that people who were out of college and had successful jobs were supposed to look more put together. He was used to wearing pressed suits to work, and casual attire for him still consisted of slacks, dress shirts, and a tie. Thorne could have at least warned him before he came over to put on something nicer. But at least it was only a dinner party; over the past several hours, Kai had managed to bring Thorne's big plans down a notch.

Kesley showed up first, toting the beer. Kai was surprised to see that Scarlet wasn't in tow. They were normally inseparable. He hoped it meant that she would be the one doing the cooking tonight, and maybe she was just out getting groceries. Her study abroad experience in France had made her quite the gourmet chef. This may have been a contributing factor to Kesley falling madly in love with her, because Kesley was _always_ hungry.

He was always hungry, and he was always with Scarlet. At least, as long as Kai had known him. Thorne had met him in college first, in one of his more shady gambling schemes. Getting involved with Kesley's gang back then had been part of the chain of events that had led to Thorne's downward spiral. Though, if Kai were honest with himself, he knew that Thorne's trip down that road had started long before he'd met Kesley.

By the time Kai met Kesley, he'd been rather intimidated, particularly due to his mere physical presence and the reputation that preceded him. But, by then, he was already with Scarlet, and Scarlet tended to bring out the "gentler" side of Kesley, if you could call it that. After hanging out with them a few times, Kai was mostly only intimidated by just how much Scarlet and Kesley were obsessed with each other. Frankly, it was kind of nauseating sometimes. Everyone thanked the stars when they finally moved in together after Scarlet graduated from college.

"Where's your feisty redhead?" asked Thorne, shutting the door hastily to keep out the cold air.

"She's out picking up some food."

"Yes! I love the way your lady cooks. I'm glad it wasn't hard to convince her to do it on such short notice."

Kesley looked hungry just at the thought. "Me too."

Thorne relieved him of the beers so Kesley could take off his coat, and Kai noted that it was a light, summer jacket. Lucky genes. With a body mass like his, he probably wasn't even affected by this cold weather.

"Come on," said Thorne, handing them both a beer, "let's go chill a bit before the girls get here."

"Oh," said Kesley, "I forgot to tell you. Scarlet's bringing one of her friends."

"No problem, I think Cinder said she was going to bring one of her friends too."

"Who's Cinder again?"

Thorne popped the cap of his bottle. "The reason we're having this dinner party."

Kesley looked at Kai. "Oh yeah," he said, rolling his eyes, "this new one's got Thorne all hot and bothered."

Thorne punched him in the shoulder, and Kai couldn't keep from laughing. Maybe tonight would be good for his mood after all.


	2. Chapter 2

When the doorbell rang, Thorne jumped up to check his appearance in the mirror. He nodded confidently at his reflection and put on a specific smile that Kai had come to recognize for these types of occasions. He strode over to open the door while Kai stayed in the kitchen with Kesley, Scarlet, and Emilie, Scarlet's friend. They all craned their necks to listen as Thorne welcomed the girls in like a gentleman and took their coats, then ushered them into the kitchen to meet everyone.

"Everyone, this is Cinder," he gestured to the girl on his right. A wave of surprise washed over Kai as he took her in. Definitely not what he had been expecting. She was pretty, of course—that he had expected—but she was pretty in a way that was different from the type of girl Thorne would usually go for. She seemed wholesome, sweet, and a little rough around the edges. It suited her.

"And this is her friend, Iko." The other girl was also cute, but looked like she was trying just a little too hard to look, well, cute. Cinder, on the other hand, didn't look like she was even wearing any makeup. Maybe she had just gotten off work.

"Sorry we're late," said Cinder, "but Iko was having trouble walking in her heels."

Iko looked at Cinder like she was crazy. "Cinder, humans were not meant to walk several miles in open-toed shoes in subzero temperatures."

Thorne balked. "You mean you walked here in this weather?"

"We couldn't get a cab."

"I like walking," added Cinder, shrugging. She, on the other hand, was not wearing heels.

"Next time," said Scarlet, shaking her head, "you just call Thorne. He'll gladly pick you up. I'm Scarlet, by the way." She got up to shake their hands, and everyone followed suit.

When Kai had shaken Cinder's hand, he turned to Iko, who practically gasped when she saw him. He worried for a brief moment that he really did look so grungy in his faded hoodie and jeans that he had scared her. But she just began whispering excitedly—and not very quietly—to Cinder.

"Oh my stars! Oh my stars, Cinder do you know who this is?"

"Um...no."

She looked apologetically at Kai. "Sorry," she said through gritted teeth as she nudged Iko, "clearly my friend doesn't know it's rude to talk about someone when they're standing _right in front of you."_

Kai shook his head. "No problem. It's not the first time it's happened."

Iko squealed. "So it's really you?"

Kai was trying not to look amused. "Well, yes, I really am me, last time I checked."

She ignored him. "Cinder, this is the son of that _guy_."

Cinder was beginning to look embarrassed. "Iko, _which_ guy?"

"That guy who was on the list of the Top Ten Most Influential Men in the business world! You know…" she snapped her fingers as if to help her remember, "… _Rikan Corp_! That's it!

At the word Rikan, Cinder's eyes widened. She instantly looked almost star-struck, just like Iko, and Kai couldn't help feeling disappointed. He didn't know why, but for some reason he hadn't expected Cinder to be impressed like everyone else always was. It was stupid of him, really. He didn't even know the girl.

"I…wow…" she stammered, looking down at her feet. She suddenly looked very shy. "I didn't realize…"

Thorne put his arms around the two girls and steered them away from Kai. "Yeah, Kai's our resident celebrity. He's a real heartbreaker."

Scarlet laughed. "You should have seen these two in college. Unstoppable duo, the two of them. But watch out for this one," she said, gesturing at Thorne, "he's trouble with a capital T."

Thorne responded by winking at the girls. He helped Iko sit down; when he had seated Cinder as well, he leaned himself against the table by her, and looked at her with bright eyes. "So, how's my baby?"

Cinder blushed a deep crimson. "Uh—"

"He means his car," said Scarlet. "Right, Z?" Scarlet was the only one allowed to call Kesley by his first name.

Kesley rolled his eyes but nodded. "That's the only _baby_ he'll ever have."

Thorne ignored them, though, and continued to gaze at Cinder. " _Please_ tell me she's fine."

Cinder jumped into a detailed description of everything that was being done to Thorne's car to fix it. Listening to her speak about the inner-workings of cars made Kai feel like he'd never even seen a car in his life. Thorne was the only one who was enthusiastically listening, and he nodded with joy every once in a while.

Emilie turned to him. "Can we eat? I'm sure Cinder's eager to leave work at work."

* * *

Dinner went longer than expected, and Emilie decided to leave early because she lived on the opposite side of the city. Kai soon learned that both Cinder and Iko could hold their own in a conversation with Thorne. This was saying a lot, because Thorne was a master at telling funny stories. Iko had similar enthusiasm for some of Thorne's quirks, and Cinder, well…she was just kind of brilliant. The two girls made a very endearing pair, and he wondered how they had become friends, since they seemed so radically different from each other.

By the time they started cleaning the dishes, Kai was convinced that Iko had a massive crush on him. This, of course, inflated his ego just a bit, but he knew it was just because of his status. He normally despised girls that only went for him for his money—okay, and his looks too—but Iko was kind of funny. That being said, she was way too enthusiastic about complimenting Kai that it got old rather quickly. He _was_ surprised that Iko wasn't flirting with Thorne, though.

* * *

Thorne pulled Kai aside. "How do you think it's going?"

Kai laughed. Thorne was not one to get nervous. "You're asking _me_? Don't you have your usual game plan that you stick to?"

"This one's trickier," he said. "I don't think she seems like she's that into me."

"I'm not really sure. She came, right? That's a good start."

"Yeah, but normally by this time they're, you know, doing a little of _this_ —" Thorne batted his eyelashes flirtatiously, "—and a little of _this,"_ he said, running his finger along Kai's arm. Kai knocked his arm away, though he couldn't help laughing, because he was used to his best friend's antics.

"Are you sure don't mean _this_?" Kai put on his best swooning-girl voice. "Oh, Thorne, you're _so_ funny and _so_ good-looking, wherever have you been hiding my whole life?"

Thorne nodded solemnly. "Truth, Kai, truth."

"I'm sure it's going fine," said Kai. "And if in the end there's no spark, who cares? They both seem cool. You can just be friends."

"But she _fixes cars_."

"I know."

* * *

"Torin says he can't come get me because of the icy roads. Apparently it's snowed quite a bit in the last few hours," said Kai, peering out the window with Thorne.

"Hmm…that's not good," said Thorne. "Hey Kesley? Think you could give everyone a ride home? My car's still in the shop and Kai's stuck here too."

Kesley shook his head. "We just checked the weather app and it seems like we've got a winter weather warning now, not just an advisory."

"I don't think it's a good idea," said Scarlet, looking worried. "Maybe it's better if we just stay here. You wouldn't mind, would you Thorne?"

Thorne actually looked delighted. "Of course not. It would be my pleasure."

Cinder looked slightly uncomfortable. "Uh, we don't want to be an inconvenience."

This time it was Kai who protested. "No way are you walking home in this weather."

"I—"

"Cinder, it's fine, let's just stay!" interrupted Iko.

"We call the spare bedroom!" said Scarlet, pulling Kesley towards her.

Kai and Thorne exchanged glances.

"What?" asked Scarlet.

They avoided her eyes. "What?" said Kesley gruffly, taking Scarlet into his arms.

Kai cleared his throat. "While we appreciate that you two are…madly in love…let's just say that if we hear you call Kesley 'Wolf' one more time in the bedroom, we're all going to puke."

Thorne starting laughing as Scarlet turned the color of her name. Then he tilted his head back and howled.

"Shut—up—" Kesley glowered at Thorne.

"Have fun," he replied, winking at them but then turned to make a face at Kai behind Kesley's back.

"So, ladies, you want my bedroom?" he asked.

Cinder shook her head furiously. "No thank you, we don't want to impose. We can just take the couch."

Iko whined. "Cinder, how am I going to get my beauty rest?"

"Seriously, it's fine," said Thorne.

But Cinder kept insisting that they were already grateful enough to be hosted, that she didn't want to inconvenience Thorne nor Kai, so they would remain downstairs. Kai groaned inwardly as he realized that this meant he'd be sharing a bed with Thorne. Some night this was turning out to be.

* * *

After tossing and turning for awhile, Kai got out of the bed and tiptoed downstairs. Once in the living room, he saw both girls were already sleeping. He didn't really know why he felt the need to check on them, but something about Cinder made him feel…something. He couldn't quite place the emotion, but it didn't matter. He hadn't felt anything at all in months.

He slipped back to the linen closet and grabbed a few extra blankets to set out in case the girls got cold. Then, in another act he couldn't quite understand, he took off his hoodie and folded it neatly on the coffee table. Maybe she would want something else to wear when she woke up.

Back in bed, Kai replayed his actions only a few minutes earlier. He really hoped that his gesture was chivalrous rather than creepy.


	3. Chapter 3

After a restless night filled with more than his fair share of reoccurring worried thoughts, Kai woke up to the sun peering through the blinds. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at his cell. 6:30 A.M. Ugh. He looked over at Thorne, who was snoring loudly, and willed himself to fall back asleep. After several minutes that dragged on like hours, he resigned himself to getting up at the same time that he always did. Like clockwork. Stupid body.

Pulling back the covers, he realized he was shivering, and remembered that he had left his hoodie downstairs with the girls. Well, at least _they_ wouldn't be cold. His instinct was to go for his daily morning run, but considering the snow fall last night, he couldn't quite muster up the enthusiasm. Besides, he didn't have the right clothes with him, and the less time he had to spend in Thorne's massive closet, the better. He opened the door hesitantly, and Thorne's wall-to-wall mirrors stared back. While Kai always thought he looked presentable and well-dressed in his clothes, Thorne always looked like he'd stepped out of the latest fashion magazine. He was way too stylish for Kai's taste, but he knew that both Thorne and the general female population would highly disagree. After rummaging through a few drawers, he managed to find a sweater that fit him decently enough.

When he got downstairs, he couldn't help pausing in the living room to see how the girls were doing. He saw a bundled figure in his hoodie, and he smiled, happy that he'd made the right choice. But as he looked closer, he realized it was actually Iko, not Cinder, who was wearing his hoodie. This made him laugh a little to himself; not at all what he'd intended, but at least it was getting put to good use. Although, on second thought, he made a mental note to make sure Iko didn't think it meant that he was into her too.

"You're up early," someone whispered behind him. He turned and saw Cinder standing behind him. She had a blanket wrapped around her and a mug in her hands. "I made some coffee, want some?" She pointed in the direction of the kitchen and Kai followed her silently.

He slid into one of the bar stools as Cinder passed him a coffee. "Thanks."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"I don't really sleep that well in general. I'm used to getting up really early for work. Ah!" he exclaimed, a thought occurring to him. He pulled out his phone and dialed his secretary. "This is Kai…yes, good morning to you too. How does it look down there? That's what I thought. If anyone asks, I'll be taking the day off. You should do the same…I understand…thank you…bye."

"Sorry," he said, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Duty calls. What are you doing up so early?"

She shrugged. "I'm used to getting up early too. Guess we have something in common. Although, I don't think my employer will be as understanding as yours. Or as you, if you're the employer—whatever you are," she mumbled. "I really do have to get going soon."

"It's a snow day. My secretary said traffic is moving like a snail. I'm sure they would understand."

"I don't think so."

"What about if Thorne gives them a call? Considering that you're working on his car, and he's one of their top clients, I bet he could convince them otherwise."

She shook her head, but sat down across from him anyway and took a sip from her coffee, looking thoughtful. "About that…" she trailed off.

"What?"

"Listen, I know you don't really know me at all but I was sort of wondering if you'd be able to be honest with me about something."

"I can try."

"Is Thorne really as much trouble as Scarlet said? I mean I know you probably have loyalty to your best friend, but—"

"He is my oldest friend," said Kai, smiling at her. "And yeah, I am pretty loyal to him. But something you should know about Thorne is that he doesn't try to hide who he is. He's one of those 'take it or leave it' kind of guys. He likes who he is and, frankly, he thinks women should appreciate him for who he is."

"That sounds kind of arrogant," she said, her brow furrowing.

"Well, Thorne definitely has a lot of that. He would probably just call it "confidence" instead. It depends on how you look at it. But to answer your question, I'd say that he can get himself into trouble sometimes, but he's a pretty good guy overall."

"Not a player, then? He gives off a bit of a player vibe," she said quietly, averting her gaze.

Kai laughed. She was as astute as he had thought. How could he accurately describe Thorne without making him sound bad? "Not really. He doesn't just go out with anyone, and I don't think he purposely hurts anyone either. But his personality is, well, one of a kind, I guess, and a lot of girls are attracted to that sort of thing. He has a hard time staying in long-term relationships, but I don't think he's necessarily afraid of commitment. He just…has fun. Maybe he just hasn't found the right person yet." She looked down at her mug, and he instantly felt bad. Also like he'd botched up his explanation. "But hey—maybe that right person is you!"

She looked doubtful. "Honestly, I don't think we would work out that well."

"Hopefully not because of what I said."

"No, even when I met him yesterday, I wasn't really sure about it. I mean, honestly, I think he seems nice and I kind of enjoy joking around with him, but…he's not really my type, I think."

"Well, if I'm honest, I don't think you're really Thorne's type either. Though," he amended quickly, "Thorne does seem to be quite interested in you."

"Why don't you think I'm his type?"

"It's just that you're not what I expected. I've known Thorne for a long time, and he tends to go for a certain type of girl." _The supermodel kind,_ he added in his mind.

"Oh," she said, and her face fell a bit. "Sorry if I don't—I mean—I don't—"

"Oh!" blurted Kai, feeling stupid. "No, no, that's not what I meant at all. You're—I mean—I was just telling Thorne last night that I was glad he picked you."

"You were?"

"Yeah, I think you're a…healthy departure…from the usual type of girl he dates."

Actually, Cinder was more like the type of girl _Kai_ would date _._ He was surprised by the realization, and buried it away.

* * *

Thorne came down a while later and grinned when he saw Cinder sitting with Kai. "Hey gorgeous," he said, sliding in next to her. She looked shy again and smiled.

"You sleep okay?"

"Yeah, thanks again for having us."

"Of course. I'm glad to see that you're getting along with Kai. He needs more normal human interaction in his life." He swiveled to smile mischievously at Kai before turning back to Cinder. "And I've been thinking, you and Iko can come hang out with us any time. You make a great addition to our group. But as friends, I mean. I know I'm pretty irresistible, and I think you're great, but I think we'd be better off as friends."

Kai stared at him. Was this how he normally broke it off with a girl? He sounded like a moron. He half-expected Cinder to cry. But she just rolled her eyes. "You're not really _that_ irresistible, you know."

"Speak for yourself. No hard feelings, though?"

"None. I feel the same way."

Thorne looked relieved. "Well that's great, then."

"I think it would be nice to hang out again sometime," said Cinder. "I work a lot so I don't have that much time off, but I don't really know that many people around here. I guess I could use more 'normal human interaction' in my life as well." She smiled at Kai. He felt that same little emotion he had felt last night stir in him again.

"So do you need a ride home? Kai can give you a ride, I bet."

"Actually, I texted Torin that I'm going to take the subway. But you're welcome to join me."

"I can go by myself, it's not a problem."

"No, we're all gentlemen here," said Thorne. "Don't want you walking alone. It's a big, bad city, darling."

She bit her lip. "I'm actually extremely late. Lost track of time."

"Well do you want some cab money, then?" Kai offered, wondering if she was trying to avoid him.

"Oh—no, thank you, the subway's fine." She suddenly looked very worried.

"Hey, what about Iko?" asked Thorne, looking around.

"She's still sleeping. She _hates_ getting up early."

"A woman after my own heart," he joked. "Well, how about this then? Kai, you accompany Cinder, and I'll make sure Kesley and Scarlet get her home safe."

"Maybe it's not a good idea to leave Iko here by herself," said Kai.

Cinder shook her head. "Oh, believe me, Iko will be thrilled to wake up and find herself with Thorne."

"Really?" said Thorne, puffing up a bit. "And here I thought she had a thing for Kai."

"Iko has a thing for…attractive men. Period."

"So you do think I'm attractive then?" said Thorne, while Kai rolled his eyes. He felt relieved when Cinder did the same thing.

"Since we're friends now, I guess…yeah, maybe, but only when you're not being so cocky."

He beamed at her. "I think we're going to be great friends, Cinder."

* * *

The walk to the subway was longer than he anticipated—and much, much colder. Cinder didn't look bothered by either the walk or the cold, though.

"Who's Torin?"

"Oh, he's my father's private driver."

Cinder gawked. "You have a private driver?! Wow…"

Kai felt slightly ashamed. "I try not to use him much, but I got pickpocketed on Saturday night and I have to get to the DMV to get a new license. Actually, I should probably do that today."

"Where'd you get pickpocketed?"

"Believe it or not, I was at my birthday party. It was at the Villa, and I guess it must have happened in the elevator or in the lobby."

"That stinks. But happy birthday!" She gave him a thumbs up before sticking her hands back in her coat pockets.

"Thanks." The same complacency he had yesterday ran over him when he thought about his party again.

"And the Villa…huh. Probably a pretty fancy party, then?"

"The fanciest. Black tie."

"You go to those kinds of parties a lot?"

"Unfortunately."

"Oh, you don't like them?"

"I don't really want to talk about it, if that's okay," he said, wanting to change the topic.

* * *

When they got to the subway, Cinder made a big deal about going her own way. It was like she didn't want Kai to know where she lived, let alone what line she would take. He wanted to be a gentleman—just as Thorne had said—and make sure she got home safely, but she wasn't having it.

"Really, I'm fine, I live on the completely opposite side of the city," she said.

"You don't even know where I live."

"Probably near the Villa."

True, but…"I really don't mind."

She held out her hand to him. "Thank you, Kai, for accompanying me this far. I've really got to be going—I insist."

He shook her hand but couldn't shake the feeling that she was trying to get rid of him. Sometimes he wished he could be as smooth as Thorne. Maybe he should have just talked about the stupid party.

"Okay…" he started to say, but she took off ahead of him, and disappeared into the crowds.


	4. Chapter 4

Nainsi was already waiting for him with a list of things he needed to attend to when he got back to his apartment. He shouldn't have expected any less, of course, but a part of him had hoped that "taking the day off" would really mean, well, just that.

"Good morning, Sir. Did you have a good time with Master Thorne?"

"Nainsi, seriously, I know you're foreign, but you sound like you're in a movie. How many times do I have to tell you to call me Kai?"

"I'm afraid that would be inappropriate, Sir."

"Nainsi, you practically raised me. Please, call me Kai. And stop calling Thorne "Master."

She smiled kindly. "I believe that he enjoys that salutation."

"Thorne enjoys any salutation that makes him seem like he's the master of the world."

"Do you remember when he pretended to be in the military, and asked everyone to call him Captain Thorne?"

Kai could barely contain a groan. "Yes, and we're all really glad that phase is over." Actually, that phase wasn't totally over, if Kai were honest. Even though Thorne had no desire to be in the military, he still sometimes pretended he did for the women who appreciated men in uniform. He'd obviously never asked, but Kai was sure that he worked that into his dating relationships somehow. He shuddered at just how much he actually knew about Thorne's love life.

"Well, until you find a younger and more capable caretaker, and I remain in this position, I will continue to address you with the respect that is due to a man of your status."

"Status shmatus. And I don't want another caretaker. Nobody knows how to take care of me like you do." He slumped on the couch, knowing that she would still continue to call him Sir. They'd had this conversation probably a thousand times, so he wasn't even sure why he bothered anymore.

"Would you like to hear your messages now?"

"Okay."

"Mr. Deshal has requested that two items be brought to your attention. First, he has been investigating your pickpocketing."

"Really? I didn't know people investigated pickpockets."

"Mr. Deshal is very concerned for your safety, of course." Made sense. Huy Deshal was his father's head of security, and he was very protective. Kai was pretty sure that he had likely been a spy at some point in his life.

"He unfortunately does not have any leads, but he believes the security cameras at the Villa will provide him with sufficient evidence to apprehend the criminal. In the meantime, he's gone ahead and canceled all of your credit and debit cards and alerted the authorities of possible future fraud."

"Great."

"Of course," she continued, "until you receive your new cards, you will need access to money. I've taken the liberty of calling the stores and restaurants you most typically frequent, and they have all agreed that due to your loyalty level as a client, any purchases you make can just be added to a tab."

"Can't I just write them a check?"

"Mr. Deshal has frozen all of your accounts at the moment, in case this pickpocketing is not random, but rather targeted to you specifically in order to gain information on accounts pertaining to you personally or those of Rikan Corp. A check would bounce, Sir."

"Got it."

"Second, Human Resources has presented a candidate to Mr. Deshal for the vacant cyber security position."

"Oh, good, that's been a long time coming." The last hack into Rikan Corp had cost them several million dollars to sort out. "But why did they pass it to Huy?"

"They felt it…prudent, to say the least, Sir. Some red flags came up in her background clearance, so they asked Mr. Deshal to run a more thorough investigation of her history."

"Huh. But if she has red flags, why are we even considering her?"

Nainsi pointed at a big manila folder lying on his desk in the corner of the room. "If you take a look, I think you will see that she is, without a doubt, extremely talented in her field. Mr. Deshal is not completely convinced that she is a right fit for this company, however, so he requested that I ask you to take a look yourself to give a final recommendation. Considering the gravity of our last internet breach, he believes that your father would not want this information in the hands of anyone except family."

He sighed. "I guess if I have no choice…"

"Thank you, Sir."

She hesitated.

"Anything else, Nainsi?"

"Ah—yes. There is also a message from Ms. Blackburn." Kai took a deep breath and closed his eyes. She _obviously_ had his number. Why did she always insist on leaving messages with Nainsi?

"She was calling to remind you about the reservations tonight at Lunar Terrace. It's that new—"

"Yeah, I know what the Lunar Terrace is. And I haven't forgotten about tonight."

"She also says that she'd like you to wear your white tie," Nainsi added, looking at the floor.

He glanced down at the sweater he'd borrowed from Thorne, and the jeans he'd been wearing since yesterday. He should just show up like this. The look on her face alone would be worth it.

"You can tell her that I'll be there, of course."

Nainsi looked up again. "Excellent. In that case, Ms. Blackburn says that she'll send Aimery around to pick you up at 7:00 PM sharp."

Aimery. Now there was someone who had most _definitely_ been a spy.

* * *

"Hey man."

"What's up, Thorne? Everything go okay with Iko?"

"Oh yeah, it was fine. She was all over me, but I gave her the friend speech too. She needed it, unlike Cinder."

"Two friend speeches in one day. Is that a record for you?"

"Not even close. So listen, Cinder just texted me and said Iko forgot to leave your hoodie at my place when she left. Apparently she thought it was really comfortable. Cinder convinced her to give it back to you, though."

"It's not that big of a deal, really."

"Whatever. Point is, I gave Cinder your number to give to Iko, okay? You can coordinate a time to go get it, or I'm sure you can send one of your dad's minions on your behalf too."

Kai glanced at the screen but saw that he hadn't received any new notifications. He pressed the phone back to his ear. "Alright, I'll keep an eye out. Thanks."

"So what are you doing tonight?" asked Thorne.

"Going to a restaurant with Levana."

"You're _not_! Stop this bullshit, Kai."

"Thorne, you said yesterday that if I went to your party, you would shut up about her. A deal's a deal."

"That was the deal yesterday. Today's a new day. Carpe Diem."

"I'm hanging up now."

As he disconnected the call, he saw that his hand was shaking. He could not—would not—have this conversation with Thorne again.

* * *

After a hot, much needed shower, he felt a little better. He grabbed the sandwich that Nainsi had left out for him, and settled back into his study. Kai picked up the manila folder to get started. By the size of it, it would probably take him several hours to go through. At least he could lie on the couch while he read. He opened up the folder and turned to the first page, which was nearly blank. A red CONFIDENTIAL was stamped diagonally across the top. Below it, in typed letters, it said:

SECURITY INVESTIGATION: CRESCENT MOON DARNEL

Poor girl, he thought, flipping to the next page. Probably had hippie parents.


	5. Chapter 5

Two days later, Kai still hadn't heard anything from Iko. He wasn't exactly sure why this bothered him, but he sure did check his cell phone an awful lot more than he normally did. Each time he became slightly more irritated that his inbox was free of numbers he didn't recognize.

It surprised him, then, when his secretary called that Wednesday to tell him that a certain 'Miss Cinder Linh' was waiting in the first-floor lobby, asking to see Kai.

"She's not carrying any ID right now, and she looks a bit dirty," his secretary told him in a hushed tone. "Should I tell her that you're in a meeting?"

"Oh no, by all means, send her up. You can make a note that she's a friend of Thorne's."

"I will, Sir, thank you."

About one minute and twenty-three seconds later—not that he was counting—he saw the light on top of the elevator go on and the doors open. He craned his neck to get a better look at her, but could only see that she was checking in with the security guard on his floor. After signing the guest log, she started to make her way over to Kai. He looked down at his notes so as to not make her uncomfortable, but out of the corner of his eye he saw that many people turned in their cubicles to stare at her.

Finally, when she was close enough, he took in her appearance. She did, in fact, look a bit grungy. She had a messy ponytail, baggy clothes, and a small grease splotch etched across part of her forehead. Kai, of course, knew she was a mechanic, so it made sense to him that she would look like this. It was just the stark contrast to all the pristine suits in his office, though, that really made it noticeable. He thought it was kind of amusing. In her hands, she carried Kai's hoodie.

He stood up as soon as she got to his door, and tried to put on his best welcoming smile. She looked momentarily startled, and he wasn't sure if maybe he had tried so hard to smile that it had come out looking too fake. He tried to brush it off and extended his hand to her.

"Cinder, what a surprise! Nice to see you again."

"Hi."

She looked around his office, taking in the big windows that overlooked the city. Her fingers wound themselves around the strings of the hood on his sweatshirt momentarily, but then she held it out to him. "Sorry it took so long to get this back to you."

He took it from her and leaned himself against his desk. "No problem. It's only been three days." Did it sound like he'd been counting?

"Iko's just been busy," she said. "She wasn't too keen on giving it up either, I think, but I saw her last night and made sure I got it from her. I just had my lunch break from work so I thought I'd drop it off while I had the time."

"Well, that was really thoughtful of you. I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here, though. I could have easily picked it up."

"Oh no," she said. "It was nice enough for you to lend it to Iko; the least I could do was bring it back."

"Actually, I had left it out for you, but in the end it suits Iko, doesn't it?" He smiled at the thought.

"You left it out for me?" Crap. Why had he said that? Maybe she _would_ think he was creepy now. He had just been trying to be nice.

"So—you were saying, you're on your lunch break?"

She looked at him for a moment before replying. "Yes."

"I haven't eaten yet," he said, looking down at his watch, "and I guess it's my lunch break too. Care to join me?"

Cinder looked down at her feet. If he wasn't mistaken, a small blush was forming on her cheeks. Hopefully, he wasn't being too forward. "Thank you, Kai, but I've really got to get back to the garage. It's going to take me too long on the subway to get back again if I stop to eat."

"Nonsense," he said, waving away her comment. "I'll drive you back myself. We can pick up something on the way."

Cinder didn't look convinced. "Come on, I already feel bad enough that you had to come all the way out here."

"But won't you be late getting back then? It's all the way across town."

"Me? Nah, I'm the boss on this floor." Yikes. That sounded arrogant. "I mean, not bragging or anything."

"Clearly."

"I just mean that it won't matter too much if I get back a little late." He looked at his watch again. "I'll probably be here 'til midnight tonight anyway. I could definitely use the break."

She fidgeted with one of her fingernails. "Well, alright I guess."

He quickly grabbed his keys off the desk and steered her out the door before she could think of changing her mind. As they walked towards the elevator, he noticed that everyone stared at them, but as he got nearer to each cubicle, the employees quickly turned back to their computers in an attempt to be discrete. He hoped Cinder hadn't noticed.

He swiped his ID badge to open the elevator, and after the usual long minute of waiting for it to arrive to the 28th floor, it pinged and they stepped inside. Cinder immediately went to the corner of the elevator, and after pushing the downward arrow, he moved to stand in front of her.

"Hey, no big deal or anything, but I just wanted to let you know that you have a little bit of grease on your forehead. Right—" he moved his thumb to brush at the spot, "—here." Cinder flinched when he touched her, but when he listed his head to the side to look her in the eyes, she didn't look freaked out by him—just a little flustered. He grinned and held out his thumb. "I think I got most of it, though."

Cinder definitely blushed this time, but it was out of mortification. "Oh my stars, I can't believe I just walked into Rikan Corp looking like I just got out from under the hood." She wiped the back of her arm across her forehead.

He just laughed. "It's good to shock people every once in a while. Most of those people in there probably don't even know what a mechanic is. They probably have a secretary's secretary's secretary to deal with their car troubles."

"Like you?" she asked, the color of her cheeks returning to more of her normal shade. Not that he really knew her normal shade, in reality. It was only the second time he'd really seen her. Or third. If you counted the day after she had slept over at Thorne's. Or whatever. Why was he thinking about math in this moment anyway? He cleared his thoughts and looked back at her, knowing that the elevator was about to arrive. She was staring at him now, and he noticed the warmth that filled her brown eyes.

He needed to get a grip.

* * *

"So everything's okay with your license now?"

"Yeah, it wasn't a big deal in the end, I guess. Just a pain at the DMV, like always. No one can avoid feeling terrible there."

She nodded and reached out to turn up the heat on the dash, and then changed the radio station.

"Not enjoying my music selection?"

"It's okay, it's just that this station plays at work all day. I like to hear something different when I'm not there." She turned to look at him. "This car's not as fancy as I imagined. I imagined a convertible, definitely."

"Convertibles are not that useful in the winter."

"Well, you know what I mean."

"This is the first car I ever had. I was able to get it with money that I saved up on my own, and I liked that. I've had to get it fixed several times, but it's mine. Now when I drive it, I feel like I can get out of my head a bit."

"That's how I feel when I'm fixing cars."

"How did you get into that, anyway? Take a lot of shop class in school?"

"I didn't go to school that much. I got my GED, though, and took a few community college classes, but I realized that I liked working with cars, and so that's what I decided to continue doing."

"Huh." He remembered thinking at Thorne's house that she was incredibly bright, so it surprised him that she hadn't even gone to college. "Are you really related to Garan Linh?"

"Kind of. He was my step-father. He taught me about cars when I was younger. When he died, my mother had us all change our last names to honor him. But I think it's more because she wanted to feel famous and important. I guess I don't mind the recognition, though. It helps with employment."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

"Oh, okay." She must have been in this field for only a few years then. "I'm twenty-six," he added.

He pulled into a drive-through, and Cinder looked at him curiously. "Really? A drive-through?"

He shrugged. "I thought you were pressed for time. We can go somewhere else."

"No, it's fine. Just thought this type of food might be…beneath you."

He pretended to look hurt. "Ouch. Just because I have a lot of money doesn't mean I have to do everything lavishly. I think if you take the time to get to know me, you'll find I'm a pretty normal guy."

"I doubt that."

Okay, then. He ordered an extra huge helping of fries for himself and Cinder ordered a full meal. When he pulled up to the window, he reached for the wallet in his back pocket, but then realized that he still hadn't gotten his accounts cleared. Kai was pretty sure that Nainsi hadn't called this establishment either to create a tab for him. She would never assume he'd eat here.

He was about to turn to Cinder and sheepishly ask if she could spot him just this once, but she was already thrusting some cash into his lap. "Please, let me pay," she said.

"Well, normally I would say no, but I actually don't have any money, I just realized."

A smile formed on her lips. "Oh, good."

"I'll pay you back, of course."

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"Kai, it's just some fast food. Don't make it into a big deal."

"But maybe I want to pay for you."

She folded her hands in her lap and looked down. "I couldn't possibly take anything else from you."

Kai was starting to get a bit frustrated at her responses and he wanted to ask her what she meant by that exactly, but the lady at the window was already tapping her fingers impatiently at him. So instead, he just took the cash in his lap and paid. When they got their food, Cinder turned up the radio pretty loudly, indicating that the conversation was probably over. He sighed, shoved a fry into his mouth, and pulled out of the drive-through.

* * *

When they got to the garage, he saw Thorne was standing in the waiting area, and decided to get out to greet him, since Cinder would probably be offended if he tried to walk with her. Thorne's eyes light up like a little child at Christmas when he saw the two of them.

"There you are! Cinder, I'm dying to see the Rampion. I heard she's done."

"She is," said Cinder, returning his grin.

Thorne nodded at Kai and he saw a smirk forming on his lips. "Didn't realize Kai had stolen you away. You could've warned me, man, so I wouldn't have had to wait here for so long."

"I didn't know she was coming," said Kai simply.

"Just dropping off his hoodie," added Cinder.

"Ah." But when Cinder turned to get the keys off of the hanging rack, Thorne raised his eyebrows at Kai as if silently saying, "and…?"

Kai ignored him. He was just about to leave, considering that there was no need for him to watch as Cinder and Thorne talked about the Rampion, but Thorne halted him.

"Kai, don't you think Cinder should come to that fundraiser this weekend?"

Thorne gave Kai a very long, knowing look which made Kai bristle.

"Uh—yeah. It should be fun."

"What kind of fundraiser is it?" asked Cinder skeptically.

"It's a dance," said Thorne, extending his hand out to Cinder and bowing dramatically, as if inviting her to dance.

She instantly looked nervous. "I don't really dance. I mean, I like it, but it's more the dressing up that bothers me. I'm not really a dress person."

"But _my lady_ , this fundraiser requires a different type of dressing up." Thorne was so annoying sometime with his theatrics.

"Oh?"

"It's a masquerade theme," clarified Kai. "The whole point is to look like something you're not. Wear a mask or a costume that hides your identity. People tend to find that sort of thing thrilling, so it's one of our biggest events. I can even get Thorne to come willingly."

"And that's saying something," added Thorne.

"A masquerade? Hmm. Well, I guess that doesn't sound so bad, if I could wear whatever I want." She seemed to brighten at the thought.

"I'll recognize you if you come as a mechanic," he said, winking at her.

"Kai," said Thorne, rolling his eyes, "it's not a Halloween party."

"No, it sounds okay," said Cinder. "Can I bring Iko?"

"Sure," said Kai. "I'll have Torin drop off your formal invites tomorrow. Can you text me your address? Oh, speaking of, I don't have your number."

Cinder gestured to the counter. "Oh, you can just tell him to drop it off here at the garage. I'm here every day anyway."

"Okay, I'll tell him to do that then."

Thorne stole another look between the two of them before turning to Cinder and pointing at the door behind the counter. "Shall we?"

"Right. She's ready for you. See you later, Kai. **"**


	6. Chapter 6

Scarlet adjusted the mask on Kai's face and gave him a once-over. She nodded in approval. "Well, it's not much of a disguise, really, but you do look rather handsome."

She had mussed up his hair with gel, making his bangs fall slightly into his face and hang down further than he was used to. She'd also made him wear an elegant silky white shirt to compliment the dark pants that he'd already been wearing when her and Kesley had arrived at his apartment with Thorne to get ready for the fundraiser. In reality it was really more for Scarlet to get ready, since the guys didn't require as much prep time as she did. Kai was technically supposed to be one of the hosts of this masquerade, though, so he _had_ been a little grateful when Scarlet had offered to help him look his best.

Scarlet squinted at him again. "Hmm, I think it's missing something."

She left to go rummage in Kai's closet, her red hair bouncing behind her in loose curls. It might have been the only time in his life that Kai wished that he could have had access to Thorne's enormous wardrobe—surely Scarlet could find whatever she wanted in there, and this would be over sooner. Kai inspected himself in the mirror while he waited and didn't feel that this look suited him too much. He missed the strange comfort and security of his normal dress shirt and tie. It was going to be uncomfortable enough to be in the spotlight at such a big event. He'd attended since he was younger, and as he'd said to Cinder, it was one of the only events that he could get Thorne to come to without persuasion or offering some sort of bribe in return. It made sense. Thorne loved to dance—and he was good at it. Kai, on the other hand, knew _how_ to dance—he'd taken the same ballroom lessons that Thorne had when they were younger—but he didn't have the natural rhythm that allowed him to move the way he would have liked.

Scarlet returned with something that looked like a red Boy Scout sash. He eyed it warily. "What is that?"

"It's a sash."

"I can see that. And why would I wear that?"

"It'll make you look like royalty. Now we just need some gloves."

"Gloves?" He knew he was whining.

"Kai, it's a Prince Charming look. It'll make the girls go crazy."

He gave her a warning look. "Scarlet, you know I'm not looking for anyone."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "I _know_ , you don't always have to remind me. Can't a girl hope for change?"

He looked at the ceiling for patience. Thorne's opinions were probably rubbing off on her and Kesley. Everyone should just stop interfering with his business already. Scarlet dragged him out of the dressing room to stand before Kesley and Thorne. "So…what do you think?!" she asked excitedly.

"Looks great," grunted Kesley noncommittally. He took another sip of his drink. Kai knew that he was only here to support Scarlet, and not because he actually cared about what Kai was going to wear tonight. The bar that was constantly stocked in Kai's apartment was probably a draw as well.

Thorne eyed him lazily. "Why does everyone still think this is a costume party? We're too old for this." Thorne was just wearing slacks and a button-up shirt with a tie, but he had a mask dangling around his neck and a black fedora-style hat tipped on the side of his head. He had vehemently insisted to Scarlet that he looked so good that it would be a shame to cover up his appearance with anything besides the mask.

"It's a _masquerade,_ Thorne. A lot of people will look like they're in a costume. These types of dances were popular in the Victorian Era. You'll see a lot of people who look like royalty."

"Royalty has never interested me," he replied.

Kesley was wearing a sleek suit that could have helped him audition for a mafia movie. It really fit his personality and past well, because it was incredibly intimidating. Scarlet was wearing more of a flapper-style evening gown, and she looked like she belonged in that exact same movie. Of course they would dress to match each other.

"The question is," continued Thorne, "whether _Kai_ likes it."

Kai glanced down again and shrugged. "Scarlet did a great job."

Scarlet beamed, but Thorne made a face. "And yet you look like you're going to your funeral. Kai, could you be enthusiastic about _something_ for once please? I'm trying to be there for you bro, but this whole emo phase is really bringing me down. You've been like a robot for the last year."

Two years, really. Two years.

Thorne got out of his chair and put his arm around Kai. The shot glass in his hand threatened to spill its contents out on Kai's shirt. "Relax. This is the time to not have any inhibitions, okay? You can be whoever you want tonight."

Whoever he wanted. In theory it was an intriguing thought. But who was that, exactly?

* * *

Several reporters took pictures as they stepped out of the limo. By the time they made it inside the hotel, it was already packed. The entire place had been rented out for the night; each room had a different dance theme. This was a good thing, considering that all of Rikan Corp was expected to attend, and the generational gaps called for various tastes in music.

Kai quickly checked the guest list after he dropped his coat off with the concierge, and saw that Cinder and Iko hadn't arrived yet. He'd put them on a VIP list so that they wouldn't have to wait in the same line as everyone else. It was unlikely that he would be able to find them regardless, even if they had already arrived, because there were just too many people. For some reason, he didn't feel like it was appropriate to ask Thorne for their numbers so he could eventually find them. Kai hoped that they would have fun anyway. He was a bit apprehensive about Cinder fitting in with the throng of sophisticated guests, since she was so intent on not wearing a dress. At least they were all in costume, so it wouldn't matter if someone singled her out like they had at his office—they wouldn't be able to tell who she was.

The four of them made their way into the hallway that connected to the different ballrooms. Kai really hoped that he wouldn't run into his father—or anyone else he knew, for that matter. He'd eventually have to talk to some people, since—as Scarlet had pointed out—he did rather look like himself. That being said, his outfit didn't look out of place at all. Many people had donned royalty-looking theme clothes that matched with their masks. He gave Scarlet a quick squeeze and whispered, "thanks for the wardrobe help," just loud enough that only she could hear him. Thorne, despite not being in costume, walked around with a swagger that it made it seem as though he was the most appropriately dressed of all of them. It was so typical.

When they reached the main ballroom, Thorne shepherded them to the bar so they could get some drinks. Kai was already feeling slightly buzzed from their time at his apartment, so he got a Coke instead. That earned him a grunt of amusement from Kesley, but Kai didn't care. Maybe if he were 6'4" and over two hundred pounds of solid muscle he could afford to drink a little more without getting completely wasted. He had duties to his company as a host after all, and this fundraiser was for a good cause.

While he waited with Kesley for Scarlet and Thorne to get their drinks, Levana flitted into his thoughts, and he scanned the room. She didn't seem like she would miss this event for anything, but for some reason he couldn't seem to remember getting any messages from Nainsi about what her plans were for the evening. Maybe she was off in Paris again; it was hard to keep track of all her traveling. After their dinner on Monday, he had no desire to see her tonight anyway, so it was definitely a good thing that she hadn't requested Kai's attention at the Masquerade.

Drink finally in hand, Scarlet gave him a peck on the cheek and disappeared towards the salsa room with Kesley. Thorne wanted to head to the techno room, but Kai begged him to stay in the main ballroom. It was the only kind of dancing he wasn't bad at, and this room was strategically positioned near the entrance, so he could monitor the guests that arrived. Thorne whined about how slow music like this would mess up his ability to show off his moves, but he agreed that he would accompany Kai for max another hour.

"But it's only because I'm worried about you," he added. And, "I'm going to find you a girl."

That was probably the moment in which Kai started admitting to himself that he kind of had a crush on Cinder. If he didn't, then why was he just constantly wondering when she would show up? There were thousands of single women here, and he could only focus on one. He felt guilty about it, though. He didn't want to tell Thorne either, because Cinder had originally been Thorne's date—and only a week ago! And since when did Kai and Thorne like the same girls? But Thorne had said he wasn't interested and had pulled the friend speech on her…

He'd have to tell Thorne eventually.

Now just wasn't the right time.

Besides, maybe it would pass. He had no idea where Cinder was, and Thorne was already checking out women for him. Masked women, of course. The whole idea was pretty ridiculous to Kai. He didn't want to get to know a complete stranger and then never see her again. He wanted real connection, and that was probably why he was hardly ever attracted to anyone. Or maybe it was just to spite Thorne, who never hesitated to push Kai's patience. Either way, he'd searched the room a million times and he was sure that there wasn't a single person in this entire establishment that was wearing pants. Cinder simply wasn't there.

After almost an hour of pretending to be interested in some of Thorne's suggestions, and even dancing with two of them graciously when they asked, he found himself sitting at one of the tables, drinking another Coke. Thorne was drumming his fingers on the table and telling Kai that he'd never seen him act more boring in his whole life. Then Thorne pointed at the balcony that overlooked the ballroom.

"Look, there's an angel if I ever saw one. She's perfect, and she even matches your outfit. If you don't pay attention to her, I will. I always thought it'd be fun to date Cinderella." Kai glanced up, expecting to be disappointed again, but then paused mid-look. Thorne was right. She was _breathtaking_.

Kai noticed the girl next to her as well. She had dark skin decorated with shiny beads and dyed blue braids that complimented a rather revealing dress and a blue mask. Her heels were probably several inches high, and she towered over the other. But she was nothing—nothing—compared to the girl that Thorne was pointing at. She really did look like Cinderella, complete with a white ball gown, dress gloves that went up her arms to connect with her dress, and a crown fitted to her head. Her white mask sparkled with little white gems.

And her hair. It was a gorgeous chestnut that fell just past her shoulders, with flowing volume and loose curls. Kai _did_ love brunettes. He watched as she stood by the railing and scanned the room as her friend pointed excitedly at the crowd. He realized suddenly that he was standing up.

"Well, is this supposed to mean that you are possibly interested in her after all?" asked Thorne, trying to hide the smug look on his face.

"She is certainly beautiful."

"Ask her to dance. Go introduce yourself as Prince Charming."

"She's way up there."

"She'll come down sooner or later, don't worry," said Thorne encouragingly.

"She'll probably want to dance with you," he said glumly. "And besides, I don't even know her."

"Well _get_ to know her. That's kind of the point. And, while I'm flattered at your jealousy, I was just joking. I've never been a Cinderella man myself."

"Oh."

"If you go dance with her, I can finally go to the other rooms and enjoy myself. It's a win-win, Kai."

He looked up again apprehensively. The girl was still standing there with her friend. Maybe Thorne was right. He hadn't had a lot of fun lately, and besides, it was just dancing. He'd already had two flop dance partners tonight, so could one more hurt? And maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe her inner beauty would match her outer beauty. Kai shook his head. Thorne was right—he _was_ boring! And clearly a bit too sentimental for his own good. This girl was beautiful, and she had caught his eye. If he couldn't pluck up the courage to ask Thorne for Cinder's number, then he had no business sitting here feeling sorry for himself. Or whatever he was doing. Moping? He needed to stop moping. He could be enjoying the evening with someone else.

Cinderella turned to go down the stairs with her friend, and Kai glanced at Thorne, who was now looking amused. "Is that your inner turmoil look, Kai? I've gotta say, it's a pretty bad look on you."

"Shut up, Thorne."

Thorne, as usual, was not intimidated in the least by Kai's annoyance. "I'm going to help you out, because _clearly_ you need some extra help, and I'm feeling generous tonight." Thorne began to drag Kai in the direction of the doorway.

"Now, you're going to stand here, and when she walks in, you're going to wait a few minutes before you approach her. But only a few. You don't want to seem too desperate, but you also don't want someone else to snatch her up. You're going to introduce yourself as Prince Charming, and you're going to call her Cinderella. She'll like that, I wager. Oh, and tell her friend that she looks pretty too. You'll need her approval as well."

"I know how to ask a girl to dance, thank you very much," said Kai sourly.

"Do you now? Well that's news to me since _you haven't asked one single person to dance the entire evening._ Plenty of fish in the sea here. Hook one."

"Go away."

Thorne pumped his fist in the air triumphantly. "That's the spirit! Now, as always, don't forget to be a gentleman." He winked and withdrew to the hallway just as Kai saw Cinderella come down the steps.

She walked slowly and precisely, as if she wasn't too sure on her feet. The pretty blue-haired girl, on the other hand, was full of confidence and energy. They walked through the doorway and stopped to take in the scene. It was impressive, really, if one stopped to think about it. The decorators his father had commissioned for the event were some of the premier event planners in the whole city. It was very regal. For some reason, this added to his confidence, because it was as though the fates had decided that Prince Charming should dance with Cinderella tonight.

The fates. What? He made a mental note not slip up and say something cheesy like that when he talked to this girl. After waiting a few minutes—yes, he did take Thorne's advice on that one, even though he'd never admit it—Kai grabbed two champagne glasses from a nearby waiter and headed towards the girls. As he approached, though, the blue-haired girl's eyes suddenly widened. She nudged her friend and took off. Cinderella looked confused for a moment, as she searched for her friend, until her eyes fell on Kai. She froze. Then she cleared her throat and straightened her back.

Kai extended one champagne glass. "Good evening. I _had_ originally gotten these two for you and your friend, but since she seems to have disappeared, maybe I'll just keep this for myself."

"Uh—thank you," she replied, taking the glass. She took a sip and Kai stepped a little closer. Up-close, she was even more beautiful than he had previously imagined. Her eyes were startling. They were brown, and big, and warm, and— _wait,_ _he recognized those eyes_. He stared at her, his memory taking him back to the elevator at his office. A longing started to grow from within. He'd only been fantasizing about those brown eyes for the past week. Was this…could it be…? She was wearing a dress, though, and she said she hated dresses. He'd been scanning the crowd for girls in pants all night. And he'd never seen her with her hair down, let alone with any makeup on.

" _Cinder_?" he asked incredulously.

Her eyes widened. "Ex-excuse me?" she stuttered.

"It's Kai," he said, leaning closer, barely able to contain the excitement in his voice.

"My—my name is Selene," she said, sounding an awful lot like Cinder.

Kai was momentarily disappointed, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him. But then he thought about Thorne telling him to be whoever he wanted tonight, and he realized that maybe all of this was just a game. Maybe she just wanted to keep up the intrigue. It had to be her. Because he _needed_ it to be her.

"Sorry, I meant Cinderella," he said, trying to recover, "but I must have gotten you confused with someone else." He took her gloved hand to his lips and placed a kiss on it. "The pleasure is all mine, _Princess_ Selene. You look incredibly beautiful. I'm...Prince Kai—Kaito. Prince Kaito." Aces, he was bad at pretending. He smiled at her as he released her hand. But unlike Cinder, she didn't look down or get flustered. She smiled right back, and he felt momentarily weak in the knees. She was stunning.

"May I have the next dance?" He held out his hand to her. She nodded, and placed her hand in his. He led her towards the ballroom floor and deposited their champagne glasses on a vacant table on the way. Hundreds of couples were already dancing, and Kai was happy to hear that the current song had a tempo that he was familiar with. At least he couldn't embarrass himself here.

As they began to dance, Selene-Cinder looked down at her feet. "I'm not very good at these steps," she said, looking a bit sheepish.

"Don't worry." He gripped her waist a little tighter. "I'll guide you."

She followed his lead pretty well, even though he could tell that she had probably never danced to this type of music before. Little by little, she got better though, and seemed like she began to understand the steps. He took a step, raised her hand above her head, and spun her out. A look of pure joy plastered her face when she mastered the turn. Her smile made his heartbeat quicken, and so he spun her again just to see it again. She laughed. It was a beautiful laugh, too. Was there anything about this girl that wasn't attractive?

After a minute or two a new song came on, this time much slower than the last. He held out his arms again, hoping she would still want to dance with him, and his heart almost leapt out of his chest when she accepted. He pulled her body closer to his, and her arms encircled his neck as he put both hands on her waist. Kai didn't want the song to end.

He could see her so clearly now. Her dark eyes were the perfect contrast to the shimmering white mask. The warmth of those eyes began to infiltrate his mind, and he realized he was having trouble thinking coherent thoughts. Her mouth was so inviting. Maybe if he could just move a step closer…he could just…

Her kiss surprised him. It was gentle and a bit hesitant—barely more than a brush on his lips. Kai wanted to put her at ease, to let her know that he wanted more too, so he kissed her back almost instantly. He was gentle too, but more confidence emanated from his lips, and soon she was reciprocating. Kai felt warmth wash all over his body. Before he could stop himself, he pushed his hands into her wavy locks. Their kisses deepened. He could taste the lip gloss on her lips and the recently consumed champagne on her tongue. His desire took over, fogging up any rationality he tried to cling to, as if his heart had been storing reserves of these feelings just for this precise moment. He began to lose himself in their embrace, and slowly yet all at once, the heavy chains of the past two years started to loosen.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Kai recognized that he was kissing a complete stranger. But he didn't care.

Because he knew it was Cinder.

It just had to be.


	7. Chapter 7

**THORNE**

He leaned against the back wall by the entryway as he watched Kai dance with the girl who looked like Cinderella.

_Thank the stars._

Thorne had been trying to hook Kai up with someone for the last year. Kai desperately needed a happy distraction from his life. A cute girl was the perfect place to start. Thorne _was_ surprised to see Kai looking quite enthralled by someone he didn't know, though. Frankly, he'd been expecting Kai to hold out for Cinder.

Yeah, okay. It had all been a set up.

Not that he'd ever tell anyone. But who could blame him? Kai would _never_ have agreed to go on a blind date. The guy just took everything way too seriously.

After only ten minutes of talking to Cinder last week at the garage, Thorne had already begun plotting how to introduce her to Kai. Physically, Cinder was Kai's type through and through, though admittedly she could use a little freshening up and maybe even some new clothes. No big deal, though. Completely fixable. She also had the kind of personality that Kai would consider a breath of fresh air, and a sarcastic edge that echoed Kai's to boot.

The situation had been a bit tricky to maneuver, if he were honest, but he was glad that he hadn't underestimated how much he knew his best friend. He'd seen the way Kai had looked at her in his kitchen—he was definitely into her. He probably didn't even know it himself yet. Well, no surprise there. Thorne was the expert in the area of romance, not Kai. Good thing, too. Lately, Kai was just hopeless.

If it were anyone else, he'd probably be a little pissed that Kai had tried to flirt with the girl Thorne was supposed to be into right in front of him—and in his own house nonetheless. But it was almost better this way. Let Kai think that he'd come up with the idea himself. It wasn't like Thorne could ever convince him of anything useful these days anyway. Except now he was dancing with the pretty stranger Thorne had suggested, so apparently something had clicked.

Well, good for him then. Maybe Kai wasn't thinking about Cinder as much as he'd expected. Thorne prayed that Kai would enjoy himself and at least get her number, if not more.

Kai had been too boring throughout the evening to venture into the other dance rooms, preferring the ballroom music room. Aka the Dance With Your Parents Room. Now that Kai had found his own little Cinderella, no doubt he would be staying there. Thorne knew that his own scene was more along the lines of techno rave or club, though, and since he didn't have to babysit Kai anymore, he headed in that direction.

As soon as he entered another room and felt the bass vibrating down through his core, he let out an exhilarated sigh. He loved this scene. It was mysterious, dark, and he could be whoever he wanted. No boundaries, no rules.

Just the way he preferred to live his life.

Tonight, he was going to party. And it was going to be a great night.

He weaved his way through the crowd to get a feel for the space. As the music pounded, the strobe lights made everything move just a little more than usual, and Thorne wondered briefly if he were perhaps a bit more buzzed than he'd thought.

It was obvious that this room had attracted the younger crowd. He saw a lot of sweaty bodies and a whole lot of grinding. And then some. Thorne chuckled to himself. _Rich people_. They were so uptight. But give them an open bar and some disguises, and these people let their wild sides come out. Good thing he could handle a little wild. They wouldn't even know what had hit them.

Thorne caught a few ladies look him up and down with desire as he passed them. He knew he looked good, but it still confirmed his decision to not wear a costume. His mask coupled with the fedora gave him a naughty debonair look, and it was quite fitting for his intentions for the night. Women liked mystery, and he could give them mystery. It was all in good fun.

The DJ changed songs and to Thorne's delight, it was a crowd favorite. He knew this song could get anyone going. He strategically made his way to the middle of the dance floor and caught the beat almost instantly. Rolling up his sleeves, he began laying out his moves, starting slow and building up to the more entertaining ones. He knew just how to milk it into a bit of a show as people came near him to watch. Thorne threw in some freestyle here and there, and even launched himself on the ground to throw in a spin or two. Breakdancing wasn't his strongest area, but he wanted to keep the crowds riled up. They had already formed a circle around him and were cheering him on. He loved the way it stroked his ego—every time.

Thorne paused dramatically as the song came to the bridge and began to unbutton his shirt to the tempo. He heard a few gasps of appreciation as he revealed the white beater that he'd worn purposely for this occasion. It showed off just enough. Thorne pulled off his fedora and threw it casually at a girl nearby. She looked like she would faint, and he smirked with delight. Things were definitely going as planned.

He was about to go down on the ground again when a petite girl moved her way into the circle and in front of him. He wouldn't have thought anything of it initially, as he was used to girls coming out to dance with him—in fact, he expected it—except that this girl had added a little something to her appearance. Or a whole lot of something. The girl had hair that went past her knees, and the strobe light was making it seem a whole lot wilder than it probably already was. He was so caught off by the sight of it that he nearly missed a beat. But she dipped in front of him and grinned a little wickedly, and in an instant, he was back in the moment.

She matched his moves and kept inching her way closer. The crowd began to join them, the circle over. Thorne was impressed to see that this girl was keeping up with him, despite her hair going all over the place. As they danced, he tried to study her through the flashing lights. Hair aside, she was definitely attractive.

Cute face—check.  
Tantalizing outfit—check.  
Pretty good dance moves—check.  
A bit of a devilish smile—check.

When another song had gone by, she came closer, and he could hear her singing along to the music. She began dancing as if she were in a music video or on a stage. It was endearing and sexy at the same time. Yeah, even with a mask and too much hair—this girl definitely had his attention.

It was his turn to close the remaining gap between them. Before long, they were pressed up against each other. She had turned around and pushed her back into his stomach. She was so short that she barely went up to his collarbone. Still, he managed to slide his hand around her waist and pull her closer. Heat radiated off their bodies. Her hips matched his hips and they swayed together. Now that she was so close, he could see that she actually had blonde hair, and it was covered in slightly darker dirty blonde hair extensions that never seemed to end. He bent down to whisper in her ear. "Nice hair, babe."

She turned her head ever so slightly so that his lips brushed her hair. "They call me Rapunzel," she said, and ran her finger along Thorne's chin. Ah. Thorne loved a good role play. And with her crazy hair, she certainly looked the part.

"Rapunzel, huh?"

"That's right."

"Aw," he replied, "are you trapped in a tower? Do you need Prince Charming to come rescue you?"

As he said it, Thorne slightly regretted not dressing like a prince the way Kai had, so that he could look the part a bit more. But whatever. He was good-looking enough to be a prince anyway, without the costume. And "charming" might as well be his middle name.

"Maybe I need a rascal thief instead, who has different intentions than a prince."

Thorne practically moaned into her hair and slid his other hand onto her hip. Oh, he was going to like this girl. Rapunzel, however, pulled away and turned to face him. Then she gave him a seductive look that Thorne was all too happy to fall for, and she began to back away, never taking her eyes off of him. He followed her slowly, to the beat, as if they were just continuing their previous dance. But this wasn't a dance. This was a game.

And it was his favorite game.

He caught up with her. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the center of the dance floor. Soon, they were dancing their way to one of the more secluded corners of the room.

She pushed him against the wall. "My name is Rapunzel and a scary witch has locked me away," she purred, widening her eyes with intentional innocence.

Thorne was immediately intrigued. But then he had a thought. "Wait...you're at least 18 aren't you?"

He saw blue eyes roll beneath the mask. "I'm twenty-three."

And that was all it took. Thorne spun them around so she was against the wall and went in for a hungry kiss. She tasted like alcohol and he wondered how much of his own drinks were influencing the flavor. He licked her bottom lip for the go-ahead to enter, and soon they were doing a little bit of a game he liked to call _francais_.

As much as he was enjoying it, he realized quickly that her short height was a disadvantage and his neck was getting stiff from bending down. His mask kept scraping against hers in this position too. He reached one hand down and found her thigh. Thorne felt her shake a little, so he grabbed it more firmly and lifted her up against the wall so her face was at his level.

There. That was better.

She nipped his ear. Oh _spades_ , this girl was hot.

They resumed kissing. Her extensions were wrapping all over him and driving him crazy, but he liked making out with her too much to care. After awhile, they stumbled over to a side booth and fell onto one of the couches, him landing on top of her. He leaned over her and she gave him a bit of a woozy smile.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied.

"Well then," he said as he moved down to kiss her collarbone, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair." He lavished her neck and collarbone with kisses that were slower than their previous rhythm. When he looked up to see if she was enjoying it, he was surprised to see that her eyes were closed. But not in the "I love this, Thorne" way that he was used to—instead, she looked like she was sleeping.

Wait.

Had he just put her to sleep?

"Rapunzel?" he asked, cupping her face. She didn't respond. He tried kissing her cheeks. Nothing.

"Aces," he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

He looked around for a few minutes, racking his brain for ideas of what to do now. It wasn't right to just leave her like this. He spotted a half-empty glass of water. That might do the trick, he thought. He considered pouring it over her, but felt like that was a pretty mean thing to do, even though she was passed out. Instead, he poured the water out on his hand instead and grabbed an ice cube. Hesitantly, he traced her lips with it, hoping the sudden cold would wake her up. Little drops of condensation formed wherever the ice cube made impact. Amused, he began to connect the freckles on her cheeks. After a few moments, her eyelashes fluttered open.

"Wha-what are you doing?" she asked, as Thorne chuckled to himself.

"See what happens when you drink too much? The big bad thief will take advantage of your vulnerability." He couldn't resist poking her little nose with the ice cube. She swatted him away, but as she put her hand back down he saw her eyelids beginning to droop again. "Oh no you don't." Thorne encircled her waist and pulled her into a sitting position. "You need to stay awake." He lifted her to her feet, his arms still tight around her. "C'mon, let's get you back to your tower, Rapunzel."

She kind of slumped against him as he guided her through the crowd again and out towards the exit. When he got out into the hallway, he saw a couple of people stare at them, probably remembering him from his earlier performance. But some of them murmured to each other and looked at them with disgust. He glanced down at the girl and noted her half-closed eyelids, loopy smile, and the way she sort of disappeared beneath her hair. Great. Here he was trying to help, and they probably thought he had drugged her or something.

When they finally reached the lobby, he looked her over and realized that her outfit was a bit too skimpy to likely have a cell phone hidden somewhere. He put his face right in front of her and held her cheeks so she would focus on him. "Do you have someone you can call?" he asked her. "A friend? Someone who can take you home or come pick you up?"

She squinted at him as if trying to think. "No." She closed her eyes again.

After calling Kai, Kesley, and Scarlet several times with no success, he wasn't sure to do. He certainly wasn't ready to go home and thus would not be accompanying her anywhere. This was a bit of a hiccup in his night, yes, but once he returned to the party he was sure that he would still want to stay until morning. Should he call a cab for her? No, that wasn't a great idea. What if the cabbie took advantage of a cute but very drunk girl? It was unlikely, but the thought of it made his stomach turn sour. He finally saw Nainsi's number, and dialed it, feeling incredibly guilty. It was already past 1:00 A.M. He hoped that her affection for him would extend into forgiveness for a wake-up call.

Luckily, she answered after a few rings. "Nainsi? Hi, this is Thorne. I'm really sorry to bother you—"

"Master Thorne? Are you okay? Are you in trouble again?"

Of course she would think that. "No, I'm fine. I'm so sorry about waking you up, but I have a friend who really needs help getting home and Kai's not answering his phone, and I have no idea where the others are, so—"

"Do you want me to call Torin?"

"Torin, or anyone who would be available at this hour."

"Are you at the Masquerade?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll have someone come within the next half hour."

"Thank you, Nainsi, you're amazing. You know how much I love you."

She yawned. "I know, my dear. Now you be safe."

"I will. Thanks again."

Thorne sat the girl down on a lobby couch near the concierge because he doubted that he could keep her standing for more than a few minutes, let alone another half hour. He also refused to wait outside in the cold. Speaking of, he realized that she probably had to have a coat of some sort too. She had much less clothing on than him, after all. "Hey, Rapunzel. Do you have a coat ticket?"

She shrugged after a minute. "I don't remember."

Thorne laid her down gently on the couch and hoped she would remain there while he went up to the concierge. "See that girl?" he asked, pointing to Rapunzel. The concierge barely glanced at her. "She doesn't remember where her ticket is, and she's a little drunk, so could you see if you remember which one is hers? Probably hard to forget a girl with hair like that, eh?" He winked.

The concierge looked bored. "No ticket, no coat."

"Oh c'mon, man." He pulled out a fifty dollar bill. "Just this once?"

"I said, no ticket, no coat."

Ugh. "Well can I at least have my own coat?"

"Do you have a ticket?"

" _Obviously_." He reached in his pocket and grabbed the little slip. A few moments later, the concierge returned from the back with his coat.

"Can I have a scrap of paper and a pen?" asked Thorne.

The concierge eyed him, bored again, and reached in his desk more slowly than Thorne would have liked before pulling out what he needed.

"I'll need that pen back," the concierge told him firmly as he extended it gingerly towards Thorne.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your panties in a bunch."

He scribbled on the paper. _Rapunzel, this coat belongs to your thief. Please call me so I can get it back_. Then he left his number.

He dropped the pen on the counter without even looking at the concierge again, and returned to Rapunzel, who luckily had stayed put. He laid his coat—with the note safely tucked in the pocket—over her and then sat down and checked his watch. 1:17 A.M.

He rested his elbow on the armrest and closed his eyes briefly, wondering how he had been so "lucky" to get into this situation. The dance at least had been fun while it lasted. So had the brief make out session. He still thought the hair was pretty strange, though. Who would even think of coming up with an outfit like that? In fact, under the strobe lights, she could almost pass for something out of a horror movie. If it weren't for her smile and sexy outfit, he probably wouldn't have given her a chance. Well, she did have good moves too. That had helped a lot.

Thorne felt a hand slide under his shirt and touch his bare skin, trailing along his abs. Rapunzel giggled. "You're so sexy." She giggled again.

"Trust me, I'm aware," he replied, but he was already pulling her hand away. He enjoyed many things, but a barely-conscious girl trying to feel him up was not one of them.

"Can we kiss again?"

He laughed. "No."

She pouted, and he tucked a strand of her crazy extensions behind her ear. "Trust me, you would regret it tomorrow."

"But you're so...sexy."

If only she knew how much he had reciprocated the feeling only a half hour ago. Thorne sighed, and leaned his head back against the couch. He held her hand still on the couch, just in case she got the idea to touch him again.

After what seemed like forever, Torin pulled up to the entrance, and Thorne lifted Rapunzel to her feet. He draped the coat around her shoulders so it wouldn't fall down, and led her over to the car. Torin eyed him suspiciously, though Thorne could tell he was trying to restrain himself.

"Hey, Torin. This is—uh, Rapunzel."

Torin raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know."

Torin didn't say anything, instead moving to hold open the door.

Thorne helped the girl slide into the backseat of the car, making sure she didn't hit her head. When she was all settled, he made sure he had her attention. "Rapunzel, this is Torin. He's going to get you home safely. Just tell him where you live, okay?"

She clutched his arm. "I love you."

He smirked. "Of course you do. We are obviously soulmates."

Thorne forced her to let go of his arm and closed the door. Torin was still looking at him in that oh-so-Torin way.

"She's drunk, just make sure she gets home alright." He gave Torin the fifty bucks the concierge hadn't accepted.

"That's not necessary, Sir," said Torin.

"Still, take it for your trouble. And thanks."

He didn't wait for them to drive away. The temperature was too cold to bear, so he hurried back to the lobby. Thorne collected himself for a minute and then started in the direction of the dance rooms. It was time to get back to the party. After all, he wasn't going to be in his twenties forever and the night was still oh so young.


	8. Chapter 8

On Monday afternoon, Thorne drove to the Rikan Corp headquarters. He hated going there. Since it was in the center of the city, it was always packed with traffic and a whole bunch of pompous people. He tried not to think about how annoyed he was as he pulled into the parking garage below the enormous skyscraper. He was here to figure out what was going on with Kai.

Kai had not called him back on Saturday night at the Masquerade. Thorne had been happy for him. Thrilled, actually. He thought it meant that Kai was perhaps spending some quality time with his new lady friend, Cinderella. Thorne had given him until Sunday afternoon until he had called, merely out of sheer curiosity, to hear how it went. Kai never had any interesting stories about women, so it was about time to get some details. But Kai hadn't responded. He hadn't responded to Thorne's texts either. Thorne had shrugged it off and gone about his day.

When he still hadn't heard anything by Monday afternoon, he'd called Nainsi. She had assured him that Kai had indeed gone to work but seemed "different" than usual. She hadn't elaborated. And yet when he'd asked to be connected, she'd said that he wasn't accepting any calls today. So here he was, driving to the epitome of pretentiousness, possibly to stage an intervention. Because Kai was probably heart broken. Why else wouldn't he have called? The guy wore his heart on his sleeve.

Thorne had long since gotten his security clearance from Huy Deshal. That man was a beast. It'd taken Kai several months to convince him that despite Thorne's somewhat troubled past, he should be able to have his own access badge to get in and out when he pleased. Thorne was certain that Kai had probably just been sick of constantly having to answer the secretary's calls of "can he come upstairs?" since back then he would visit Kai more often so they could get lunch together or go out after work. That was before Kai started working like a maniac.

He exited the elevator and immediately felt some dejection wash over him. He hadn't wanted to be right about Kai being heart broken. Thorne could see the dark blinds to his office drawn down all the way from across the room. He mentally told himself to be patient and sensitive—two traits that did not come so easy to him—and strode over to Kai's door. He didn't even bother knocking.

Kai barely looked up when Thorne entered. He was slumped at his desk, looking like a total mess. His hair clearly hadn't been washed, his clothes looked unusually rumply, and his tie wasn't even properly tied. Needless to say, Thorne was not used to seeing him so disheveled. He sat himself on the side of Kai's desk and stared down at him.

"You didn't return my calls."

"We're not dating."

"Ouch. And to think I thought you were my one true love."

Kai didn't reply. He only hunched over and put his head into his arms on the desk.

Thorne surveyed the room. "I guess if you're taking a nap, you must be all ready for your trip to Beijing."

Kai groaned. "Oh stars! Is that today?"

Thorne shrugged. "How should I know? Don't you have a ticket?"

Kai sat up and looked panicked. He picked up the phone and dialed a number. Movement. This was good, Thorne observed.

"Nainsi? When is the annual summit?" Pause. "Wednesday? So do I leave tomorrow? Okay…thanks."

He hung up and looked at Thorne. "I don't leave until tomorrow morning."

"Great. Plenty of time to mope some more."

Kai looked up in desperation, which was a look that Thorne hadn't been expecting. "It's Cinder, Thorne. It's Cinder."

"What's Cinder?"

"Cinderella! The girl at the Masquerade! It was _her_."

Thorne whistled. "Whoa, girl cleans up well." He hadn't expected that. "What's the problem, then? I know you like her."

"You know?"

"Do I look like an idiot?"

Kai raked his hand through his hair exasperatedly. "I knew it was her from the beginning. Because I saw her eyes, and I'd been thinking about her, and she talked like her, and I just _knew."_

"And?"

"And then we kissed." Kai looked down. "A lot."

Thorne whistled again. "There you go, buddy! I'm so proud of you."

" _No, Thorne, just listen_." Kai's voice had become raspy and desperate.

"She kept insisting she was someone named Selene, but after we kissed I told her I was so glad it was her."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I told her that I knew she was Cinder and that I liked her and wanted to get to know her better and…" he trailed off, a look of agony caming over his face. "She left, Thorne," he whispered. "She just left me there."

"Did you go after her? Girls like being chased, you know."

"Of course I did. I tried to get her to give me her number and she just kept saying I had the wrong person and she was Selene and she bolted."

Thorne whipped out his phone and texted Iko.

"What are you doing?" asked Kai, horrified.

"Finding out if Cinder has an evil but equally pretty twin named Selene."

After a few moments, a text message came back from Iko: "No, why?"

He shut his phone. "Well, that settles that."

"Thorne, what should I do? The more I danced with her, the more I knew it was her. I need to know what's going on. I'm going insane."

Thorne scratched his cheek. "Maybe she just wanted to be a mystery that night. I met a pretty weird girl myself. She was cute but probably a whole lot of crazy when I stop to think about it."

"Cinder's not crazy."

"Kai, you barely know her. I barely know her. If it really was her, then she bolted for a reason."

"Give me her number," he said, holding out his hand to Thorne.

Thorne clutched his cell protectively. "No."

"Help me out."

"I _am_ helping you out. I'm helping to protect you from yourself. You are not going to call or text _anyone_ in this condition." He gestured at Kai's unruly appearance. "You're going to come off either as a desperate stalker, or a depressed stalker."

"No I wouldn't."

"Let's pretend this _is_ Cinder. What excuse would you give for having her number?"

"I can pretend my car is broken."

Thorne tried to hide his condescending laugh. "No. Not happening. Go to your conference in Beijing, and when you get back see what's going on."

"The VIP list says she signed in, though."

"See, you're still a stalker. You're going to Beijing and you're _not_ going to call her."

* * *

Almost an hour later, Thorne was finally making his way out of Kai's office. He'd convinced him to go to Beijing, with the understanding that _Thorne_ would stop by the garage sometime this week to try to get a feel for the situation. He felt like he was back in high school again. The conversation with Kai had gone in so many circles that Thorne wasn't convinced at all anymore whether it really was Cinder or not. Kai was one hundred percent sure. Poor guy.

He entered the elevator a few moments later and watched the light tick its way down the floors slowly. With all of Rikan Corp's investments in Asia, he'd been hoping for a long time that this would lead to them getting a super high-speed elevator like the Taipei 101 had in Taiwan. _That_ would certainly make these trips more amusing. The light stopped at the twenty-first floor and the doors opened to a blonde chick in a professional-looking dress who stood there expectantly. She hesitated when she saw Thorne. He put his hand out to stop the door from shutting again.

"Coming?" He gave her a dazzling smile. She only gave him a tight-lipped lift of the corner of her mouth, and then glanced around the elevator suspiciously. He stared at her a little, hoping that she would hurry up so he could get out of here. She had a cute face, though, framed by cropped blonde hair that went just past her ears. It wasn't hurting his eyes at all to look at her. She finally entered, and he saw that despite the work clothes, she toted a rather shabby looking backpack. It looked like it would swallow her as she walked past him to the corner. There was no way she was more than five feet tall.

He released his hand from the door and moved towards the buttons. "Lobby?"

She nodded politely and then turned her face away from him, as if she could hide away in the corner. Okay then. He could take a hint.

Thorne turned back to watch the light tick down the floors. But after only one floor (twenty) went by, the blinking light disappeared and the elevator shook. The girl let out a cry of surprise as Thorne's hand reached out instinctively to balance himself against the wall. The elevator shuddered, made a strange noise, and stopped. Thorne pressed the arrows to open the door, but nothing happened. The girl in the corner began to breathe hard, sounding as if she were almost panting. He turned to look at her, and saw that she had shrunk down to the ground, panic etched all over her face.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Clau—claustrophobic," she gasped, clutching her stomach and looking down.

"Oh. Well don't worry, it's nothing to be afraid of. Probably just a brief malfunction." He pressed the emergency button on the elevator. It didn't do anything.

"Hmm…" he said, pressing the button a few more times. Then he held it for a count of ten seconds before he let it go, but nothing happened. He tried pulsating the button intermittently. Again nothing.

Thorne cleared his throat. "Well, just because we don't see anything on our end doesn't mean there isn't a signal that went off on the other side of this button. Besides, you can't really expect someone to just be sitting and waiting for the button to flash." He stared at the panel. "Yeah, it probably just sends a signal straight to the fire department."

He turned to look at the girl again, who was no longer breathing so hard, but looked rather pale. He tried to lighten the mood. "Besides, the people who work in this building are definitely not going to want to take twenty flights of stairs to get up or down."

She finally looked up. " _I_ work here. I'd gladly take the stairs right now."

"Well, you're unique. The others will probably get their lawyers to make sure the elevator is functioning properly immediately."

The girl just moved her eyes around, surveying the walls of the elevator.

"Clearly you need a distraction. Let me help you." He extended his hand. "I'm Thorne."

She didn't take his hand. "Cress."

"Cress. That's an interesting name. Is it a nickname?"

"Does it matter?"

"Only if you want it to."

She didn't respond. It was kind of annoying. He slid into the other corner of the elevator, which in reality was only a few feet away from her. He was worried that if he got any closer, she might break out into a full blown panic attack due to her supposed claustrophobia. He loosened a button on the collar of his shirt. This could be awhile. After a few more minutes, though, he refused to sit quietly. Thorne was a big talker, and he couldn't imagine spending time waiting in a broken elevator silently.

"So, Cress, what kind of work do you do here?"

"I'm the Internet Security Specialist."

"What's that entail?"

"Basically I prevent people from hacking into our system."

Aha. A cyber nerd. Definitely useful in this day and age. He liked her more already. Then a thought occurred to him. "Hey, if you work with codes and such, you've probably got this elevator all figured out then, right? What frequency it's on, or whatever."

She rolled her eyes. Thorne couldn't help feeling that something about her looked vaguely familiar as she did. "Elevators don't run on frequencies. And no, even if it did, this is only my first day. I haven't figured everything out yet."

"That's a tough end to a first day," he commented.

She nodded, and a flicker of stress came across her face. "Which department are you in?"

"Oh, I don't work here." He laughed at the thought. Cress looked at him blankly. "I'm just visiting a friend...Kai. Maybe you've heard of him?"

Her eyes widened. "You mean... _the_ Kai?"

He laughed again. " _The_ Kai? What, is he the topic of all the office gossip?" Thorne pretended to swoon.

She blushed. "No, not really...I mean, I don't know. I haven't met anyone to gossip with yet, really. I just meant, he interviewed me for the job."

"He did? That's interesting. Kai doesn't usually handle personnel interviews."

"I—I think I was a special case." Cress blushed again, turning a darker shade of crimson. It made her cuter, he decided.

"Well, lucky you. He's the son of the boss. And sooner or later, he'll be the boss."

"Oh!" she said suddenly, whipping her backpack around so it sat in front of her. She reached in and grabbed a cell phone and opened it excitedly. Then her face fell, dejectedly. "Nevermind...there's no reception."

He shrugged against the wall and lifted one knee so he could rest his elbow on it. "Happens a lot in elevators."

Cress looked positively defeated. He thought it better not to acknowledge her fear anymore.

"So, are we going to sit here and talk about Kai all day or are you going to tell me something about yourself?"

"What do you want to know?"

"I don't know, anything. Time will go faster if we talk a bit, don't you think?"

She considered it. "I guess."

"Do you spend your evenings on the internet like you do at work or do you have other interests?"

"I like watching movies."

"What kind of movies?" he prompted.

"Disney. Fairy tales, fairy tale retellings, that sort of thing."

At this rate, she was probably obsessed with Rom-Coms too. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"Why are you still watching those movies?"

She bristled. "Because nothing bad happens in them."

He looked at her incredulously. "What? Every Disney character has, like, the worst life ever until the very end. And don't get me started on fairy tales. Look at the Grimm brothers. Everyone dies, basically. Yeah, that's a good summary."

"I _don't_ read those," she said snippily. "The point is, _in the end_ everyone is okay. They give me hope. That everything will be okay."

He snorted. "Maybe you need to put your hope in something else."

"They're _romantic_. You probably know nothing about that."

"Yeah, romantic with a side of delusions."

She was glaring at him now.

"Not that it's any of your business," he added, "but I am _plenty_ romantic thank you very much."

She opened her mouth to respond, but at that exact moment the lights began to flicker. Instead of yelling at him like he thought she would, she stood up abruptly. "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no," she said frantically.

"Hey," he said, feeling the need to stand up too for some reason. He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders to try to calm her. A part of him thought she would slap him away, but she was frozen in place and shaking all over. "It's going to be—"

The elevator went pitch black.

"—fine."

His words were lost though, because the girl let out a terrifying scream.

He groaned. This had to be a joke. Of all the cute girls that he could be lucky enough to be trapped in a dark elevator with, he had to get the one damsel in distress. How was it possible that he was—for the second time in just two days—stuck taking care of someone who was likely to go comatose on him? This week was definitely not turning out to be lucky.


	9. Chapter 9

Much to his dismay, Thorne's usual confidence was dwindling with every passing second spent in the dark elevator. He didn't understand what could possibly be taking the fire department so long. According to their cell phones, it'd been about twenty-three minutes since the elevator's lights had gone out. If he counted the total time they'd spent in the elevator without moving, they were nearing forty-five minutes.

They'd tried banging on the door. They'd tried yelling (Cress screaming) as loud as possible. They'd tried texting all their contacts in case their phones should finally get service. Thorne had even tried jumping up to reach the ceiling. There was always that hatch at the top where spies in movies could escape out of, right?

Apparently not.

Cress had stopped crying, at least. He wasn't quite sure what he could do to help her feel better, since he didn't know anything about phobias, really. He didn't want to be here any more than she did. Even though he was slowly getting used to the dark, the blackness still seemed to swallow them in the small space. He wasn't used to feeling helpless. And he certainly wasn't used to feeling uncomfortable in the presence of a woman. Sitting here with her, though, he realized how accustomed he was to reading people. Cress's mannerisms were a complete mystery to him. Though they'd begun to make small talk again, he hated not being able to see her facial expressions or body language. She was shy with him, and wanted to understand why. He wondered if it was because she was like that normally or if it was due to her claustrophobia. Maybe she was just freaked out at being stuck in an elevator with a guy she didn't know. He'd taken his hands off her shoulders almost immediately after the lights had gone out, so he hoped it wasn't the latter.

"I'm cold," she said after taking another one of her shaky breaths. He heard rustling.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get my scarf out of my bag. Can you hold up my phone so I can find it?"

He saw a light shine from the corner in which she was sitting and moved over, eager to have something to do. "Sure."

Thorne grabbed her phone and tried to angle it for the best view. Earlier on they'd decided to put their phones away, despite the little light they provided, in order to conserve the battery. They didn't really know what they were conserving it for, but they both agreed it was better this way.

She rummaged through the big backpack he had noticed earlier. "Whatcha got in there?" he asked curiously, trying not show his surprise at how jam-packed the thing really was.

She sighed. "My life."

After a minute, she took the cell phone from him and tried to hold it deeper in the bag. "I'm not finding it," she said. "I could've sworn..."

She turned over her bag and began to dump its contents all over the elevator floor.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked. "If you've got something small, it could roll away and get lost in here."

"Good thing we'll have plenty of time to find it," she remarked.

"That's the spirit."

"Shoot," she said emphatically, "it must be in the lobby with my coat."

"I'd offer you mine, but obviously I don't have one either. Or a coat, for that matter."

"It'll be fine," Cress replied, and she was already starting to stuff things back in her bag. "Help me, will you?"

He crouched near the ground, his own phone in hand now, and grabbed what he could. She _did_ in fact have a lot of little things that could get lost in the dark. Lipstick. Multiple USB sticks. Pens. A compact mirror. Batteries. A little button pin that said _And they lived happily ever after_. The two i's were dotted with hearts. He almost laughed out loud.

He saw a crumpled piece of paper, and held it out to her under the dim light. "This garbage?"

She took it from him and sat back on her knees, then unrolled it. "Oh, this. I'm not sure."

Thorne finished putting the smaller items in her backpack as she studied her little paper. He turned the light off on his phone and put it back in his pocket.

"Can I ask you something?" she said hesitantly.

"Sure."

"It's kind of personal."

Thorne grinned in the dark. "Good. Those are the best kinds of questions in these types of situations."

"What kind of situation do you mean?"

She really was a little socially awkward, he decided. "The type of situation where you're stuck in an elevator with a complete stranger in the dark and need to pass the time, of course."

"Oh, right."

"Well, I met this guy—"

Thorne sat up. "Oh! _This_ type of personal question. Do tell." Maybe he could finally help her out with something.

"Well," she continued, "I _sort of_ met this guy. Kind of. It's complicated. But he told me to call him and I'm not sure if I should."

"Wait," said Thorne, "why do you have to call him? Why can't he call you?"

"He doesn't have my number."

"Why not?"

"I—it's just complicated."

"Is his number on that little note then?"

"Yeah, plus I have something of his."

"His broken heart?" Thorne joked.

"No, he left his coat behind. Thing is, I'm not sure if he actually wants to see me, or just wants to have his coat back. I—here," she said, thrusting the note at him along with her cell phone. "Ignore the Tangled reference."

"Tangled?" he asked quizzically, though his eyes were already scanning the handwriting. Familiar handwriting.

_Rapunzel, this coat belongs to your thief. Please call me so I can get it back._

"Tangled," she clarified, but Thorne's brain was not really processing her words. "It's a Disney movie? Oh right...you don't like Disney."

Thorne swallowed hard and let out a shallow breath. He might have have laughed if he weren't so caught off guard. The timid girl sitting next to him was the sexy, flirty, drunk Rapunzel that he'd danced with at the Masquerade. What in the name of spades was going on? He tried to process this new information, this development. Rolled it around on the tip of his tongue. He saw disco lights flash before him and a blur of hair.

"Yeah," she said quietly, and he realized that he hadn't responded to her. "I didn't—I mean—I figured it was probably just about the coat, right?" He could tell she was embarrassed. Maybe also a little disappointed too?

Thone realized that he was actually offended that she was even considering not calling him. After everything he'd done for her.

"Oh no, _Rapunzel_ , I'm sure your thief can't _wait_ to see you again."

There was a brief pause. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Moi? Never. I'm just wondering if you got a haircut since Saturday."

Silence.

"I—what—I don't know what you mean..." she stuttered.

He prowled over to her corner with purpose and turned the light towards her face. Rapunzel—Cress—squinted at the sudden intrusion. Thorne examined her.

"I didn't recognize you without your extensions."

"My..." He was now only a few inches away from her face as her lips formed into an O. The lips that had enticed him just a few nights ago.

Thorne stared her down. "I can't believe you were actually thinking of not calling me."

She snatched her phone away from him and tucked it into her pocket. He reached for his own right away and switched it on, unable to take his eyes off of her. She turned away.

"I just need a few moments to process this." Her voice didn't sound as timid as it had a few moments ago. It was still nothing, _nothing_ like her Rapunzel attitude though.

"You're not the only one."

"I don't remember everything from that night," she said quietly after an almost uncomfortable silence.

"I'm happy to refresh your memory, Rapunzel."

Her eyes shifted back into the light. When he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, an indignant glare came over her. "No, _thank you_."

He tried to be serious. "Look, I'm all about having a good time, but you really shouldn't drink that much. I mean, I had to wake you up _with an ice cube._ You could have ended up dead in an alley somewhere."

Her eyes grew wide, but then narrowed. He faltered for a minute. "I don't mean because of me, obviously. I helped you out."

She crossed her arms defiantly. "You know nothing about me."

"I know you have crazy hair extensions and I know I turn you on."

" _Please_ , I was drunk."

"You couldn't keep your hands off me."

"Don't flatter yourself."

He scoffed. "At least I don't pretend to be someone I'm not."

"Not that it's any of your business—" she started, but he cut her off.

"Oh, but it is _so_ my business, Rapunzel. Because I'm the one who spent half my evening cavorting with you and then trying to get you home safe!"

She just shrugged. "Sometimes I like pretending to have a different personality. I like the idea of Rapunzel. We actually have a lot in common."

"Pretending to have a different personality while you are wasted like that is really naïve and frankly kind of dangerous. You can get yourself in a lot of trouble that way. People could take advantage of you." He didn't know why he was acting so protective. Probably because she'd been such a hassle on Saturday night.

"People like you?"

"No," he said defensively, "I would never do that."

"So, we didn't, um—I mean—I don't remember—I just wanted to make sure."

Thorne put down the phone. His arm was growing tired from holding it up anyway, and he didn't want to look at her mortified face.

"Like I said, I would never do that."

"Thanks." Her voice sounded smaller now. "I'm sorry it got so out of hand. That's never happened to me before. I was required to go the party since I had just signed on with Rikan Corp. I just wanted to have some fun. I remember someone approaching me at the bar and he bought me a few drinks. Too many it seems."

Thorne groaned into the darkness. How had this girl survived college without getting rufied?

"Then I wanted to dance, and you were a really good dancer. And it was nice to get out of my head for awhile. Haven't you ever wanted to just forget everything?"

"Passing out will help you forget everything," he commented.

"Look, part of it was the alcohol, but part of it wasn't. Like I said, sometimes I just like to act out my fantasies."

"I _am_ rather interested in hearing more about these fantasies. Although, preferably ones that don't involve so much hair."

"You're gross," she said, her voice no longer quiet nor contemplative.

"That's definitely not what you were saying at the Masquerade."

"I don't mean _those_ kinds of fantasies," she muttered mutinously.

"Do enlighten me then on how trying to seduce a guy while dressed as Rapunzel is some other kind of fantasy."

She sighed and then spoke as though she were speaking to a little child. "I can't believe I'm actually telling you this, but I guess since you helped me get home...fine. I had a bit of a rough childhood, and back then my imagination helped me. When things got bad I would call up different fantasies to help me get through things. I would just live in them until it got better. Now that I'm older, I do a better job of separating my imagination from reality. Sometimes, though, instead of just imagining something, I like to actually pretend that I'm someone in a different situation. Like I said earlier. _Pretending_. Maybe it's the thrill. I don't know. Maybe it's just the fact that I can actually go out and _do_ whatever I want. _Be_ whoever I want."

"And obviously, the alcohol helped."

"My therapist writes it off as me acting out after years of internalizing my problems."

"You're in therapy?"

"Yeah. Long story. Anyway, I love Rapunzel. I told you, I really identify with her. So yeah, a part of it was probably the alcohol talking, but I liked pretending that I was her. You just sort of became part of that pretend. And it was a _Masquerade_. Isn't that what people do at those functions? Hide their identities?"

Thorne ran his hand through his hair. He thought about Cinder and Kai and all the people in masks. Maybe she had a point. He had liked the idea of pretending to be Rapunzel and the thief while they were dancing, even if he had known that neither of them were either in reality. "But you were really hott. Like, super hott. And—I thought—into me."

"I—"

Her voice hitched as the overhead lights flickered. They heard commotion below them. Voices. Cress's face lit up like the sun. "Are we saved?"

He chuckled, though a part of him was unnerved by the abrupt end to their conversation. "I believe we are saved."

The elevator began to descend. Two floors later, the doors finally opened. Cress practically fell into the arms of a fireman as he asked if the two of them had sustained any injuries. Thorne picked up her backpack and walked out behind her. There was a small crowd waiting for them, mostly made of firemen, maintenance workers, and a few receptionists. He spotted Kai, who looked relieved to see him. Thorne was relieved to see that Kai did not look like he was moping anymore.

"I figured you were in there after my calls kept going to voicemail. The Rampion's obviously still in the garage."

"What happened?" asked Thorne.

"Blackout. It was all over the city, so it took awhile for them to make it here. The fire department blames all the snow weighing down on the power lines."

"Get your dad to invest in some generators, Kai. That was bullshit. I was stuck in there with one of your female employees."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You're complaining about being trapped in an elevator with a woman? Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

Thorne flexed his back in an attempt to stretch out the kinks that had formed from sitting on the floor for so long. "I'm not complaining about the company. Just the situation."

"Who else was in there?"

"Cress. Forgot her job title. She protects you from hackers."

"Ah, she's new."

"I know. I'm gonna catch up with her later."

He saw an unmistakable look of worry cloud Kai's face.

"What?"

"You're going out with her? Isn't it a bit...soon?"

"Relative to what?"

"You just asked out Cinder last week." _Yeah, for you,_ thought Thorne.

"Relax, Kai, it's all good fun."

"That's not what I mean. What do you really know about her?" Kai insisted.

"Actually, more than you'd think." Thorne's lips were twitching.

"Just be careful with her."

"Are you implying that you think I'm a douchebag?"

" _No_ ," said Kai. "Listen, I shouldn't be saying any of this, but you're my best friend so just—just keep this to yourself."

Thorne nodded and put on a serious face to humor Kai.

"I had to interview her because, well, she has a bit of a shady past."

"Kai, _I_ have a shady past."

"This is different. I just—" he scratched behind his ear, which Thorne had come to recognize as something he did when he felt nervous or uncomfortable. "I don't think it's a good idea to get mixed up with her. I can't really say more. Pick—pick someone else."

"Well thanks for your concern, but I'm a big boy. I can handle it. Besides, I never said anything about dating her. I just have a score I need to settle with an alter ego."

"I don't even want to know what that means," said Kai, frowning.

"It doesn't matter. Thanks for the tip, though. I'll catch up with you in a few, okay?"

Thorne left Kai and looked around for Cress. He almost thought to look for her unruly hair, but then remembered that she really had short hair. This double identity thing was really going to mess with his mind. He spotted her near the stairwell. She hadn't been kidding about wanting to take those twenty flights of stairs after all.

"Hey Cress!" he called after her. She paused.

"You better call me. I still want my coat back."


	10. Chapter 10

_Alak's Lucky Garage_ always made Thorne feel giddy. He loved bringing The Rampion there and being able to shower her with the special attention only they knew how to provide. Though she wasn't the fanciest thing imaginable, he was proud that she was probably one of the most well maintained cars around. As the name of the garage suggested, he'd been quite lucky to meet Alak early in his ownership of The Rampion. Now there was no one else he'd trust to spoil his baby.

Alak, a portly middle-aged man who was beginning to bald, looked up from his paper when he saw Thorne waltz in. "Coffee, Thorne? You shouldn't have."

Thorne handed him one of the drinks from his coffee carrier. It was important to manage relationships, and often a little goodwill was all it took to win someone over. Generous tipping helped too, obviously. Thorne lifted his own cup and tipped it respectfully towards Alak before taking a sip, and then leaned against the counter. "Afternoon, Alak."

"Who's the third drink for?"

"Ah, that one there is for a special lady friend. Maybe you've seen her around—brown hair, brown eyes, fixes cars?"

Alak nodded knowingly. "She's in the back. You're not thinking about breaking the heart of my most popular new employee now, are you?"

"Not today. Need a favor for a friend. What do you know about her?"

Alak folded his newspaper and considered him. "Not too much. Always punctual, and probably works more overtime than she should. Seems like she might need the extra cash. She mostly keeps to herself, though she definitely holds her own with the other guys in the back."

"She got a boyfriend?"

"Don't you think you should have found that out before you asked her out the other week?"

Thorne sipped his coffee thoughtfully. "Interesting that she told you that."

"She didn't. One of the guys heard you flirting with her. You're not very discrete when you're trying to make a move, you know."

"Ha. He must have misheard. Cinder and I are just friends."

"Well, if you're friends, why don't you just ask her yourself?"

"Indeed. Any chance you could give her a break for a few minutes?"

Alak pursed his lips for a minute, but then went to open the door to the back. "Cinder!" he hollered. "Get out here!"

Cinder appeared after a bit, wrench in hand. "Yes, Sir?"

"You've got a visitor." Alak pointed to Thorne, who smiled at her.

Cinder scratched the glove of her hand with her wrench. "I've got a lot to finish up."

"Thorne's a preferred customer. Take a break."

Cinder set the wrench on the counter as Alak returned to his newspaper. "Okay," she said, putting her hands in her back pockets. "What's up, Thorne?"

"Just wanted to talk to my favorite mechanic. I brought you some coffee too." He gestured at the remaining cup in his carrier.

"Oh." She looked down at her feet. "I thought we both made it clear that we'd just be friends."

Thorne heard Alak cover up a laugh with an abrupt cough behind his newspaper.

"Haven't changed my mind about that," said Thorne. "Can you join me in my car for a few minutes? I wanted to talk you about something and it feels a little crowded in here."

"Uhh…I guess."

They exited the shop and climbed into the Rampion. She sat a bit uncertainly, her legs crossed away from him. He was a little worried she would get grease on his leather interior, but decided for the sake of this conversation not to bring it up. She took the coffee gratefully, though, and he let her sip it a minute before getting right down to business.

"You have fun at the Masquerade?"

She shrugged. "It was interesting."

"I had an interesting night myself. But I'm not really here to make small talk, so I'm going to cut right to the chase. You like Kai, don't you?"

She looked startled at the question, but her face flushed almost immediately. He gave her credit for trying to maintain eye contact. "No."

"Aw, honey, a blush like that is gonna give you away every time."

"Thorne…I barely know Kai. I barely know _you_. This isn't really something I want to talk to you about."

"Humor me for a few minutes. I'm not here to embarrass you."

She opened her mouth to protest again, but he held up his hand to silence her. "So what's your deal? You one of those girls who likes to play hard to get? 'Cuz I can respect that. The chase can be fun."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

" _Please_ , I saw you two making googly eyes at each other in my kitchen."

Cinder begin fiddling with her gloves.

"Cinder, Kai's a great guy. I saw the way he lit up when he was around you, even if it was only briefly. And whether you're going to admit it or not, you've obviously got a little crush on him, too. But he's had a rough go at it the last few years. So don't jerk him around. If you like him at all, then call him. The last thing he needs is someone messing around with his emotions."

Thorne had strategically decided that it wasn't worth his time to try to push the whole Cinderella-Selene Masquerade mystery. If it was her on Saturday, he figured that his little speech would cover that aspect of leading Kai on too. Cinder was still sitting there quietly, not meeting his gaze. He'd said what he needed to say, so he reached across her to push open the door for her.

"You should probably get back before Alak removes me from preferred customer status."

"Right."

Cinder got out of the car and shut the door behind her without saying goodbye. He switched on the engine and put the car in reverse. He was about to drive back when he heard a quick rasp on his window. Thorne braked and rolled down the window for Cinder, who was leaning into the opening.

"Hey Thorne?"

"Yeah?"

"Did Kai really light up?"

Thorne grinned broadly. "Like a full moon."

* * *

When Thorne got an unknown call on his cell phone that Thursday, he hoped that it was Cress finally getting in touch. He was getting antsy about not having his favorite coat and was considering stopping by her department to bug her about it if she didn't call in the near future.

"Hello?"

"Is, um, Thorne there?"

"This is Thorne."

"Hi. This is Cress. The girl…from the elevator?"

"Oh I remember who you are."

"Right."

"You finally gonna give me my coat back?"

"Yes—of course," she said quickly. "About that—I wanted to apologize. I've been thinking about our conversation in the elevator and what happened at the Masquerade, and I feel really bad about it."

"Don't feel bad. Life is too short to feel bad."

"I never got the chance to thank you either."

"For what, my great dance skills?"

She remained serious. "No, for helping me when I passed out and for making sure I got home safely. That was…extremely kind of you."

"Don't worry about it."

"Well, I do, and I want to repay you."

Oh? "Yeah?"

"You probably think I'm crazy by now, so I'm not offended if you say no, but would you want to come over for dinner sometime? I could cook something for you as a thank you. It's not much, but I think guys like food right?"

"We always like food."

"Oh, great."

Her voice sounded relieved and Thorne wanted to laugh. Dinner with Cress as a 'thank you'? She wasn't very good at being subtle. Apparently she hadn't forgotten how good of a kisser he was. He couldn't blame her; he'd gotten many compliments over the years.

"When would be good for you?" she asked.

He thought about it for a moment. "How about tonight?"

"Tonight?"

"I really want my coat."

She laughed nervously. "Well, I guess that would be okay. I don't have any plans."

"Great. What time?"

"Maybe around 6:30? It takes me a little while to get home on the bus."

"Alright, where do you live?"

He punched the address she gave him into google maps. "I have to pass Rikan Corp anyway to get there. Want me to pick you up so you don't have to take the bus?"

"Really?"

"Sure."


	11. Chapter 11

"It's literally _freezing_ in this aisle," Thorne complained. "It's just milk, honestly Cress." She was taking an awfully long time deciding between three different brands.

"There are just so many," she sighed happily.

Thorne reached into the freezer. "Take this one. It's organic, fair-trade, non-GMO, and all that jazz. Plus, it's 2% so you can't make the case that it has too much fat, nor too little fat replaced by too much sugar."

She stared at him in bewilderment.

"What?" he said, shoving the milk into her cart and urging her along to the next aisle. "I've watched a lot of food documentaries."

Thorne hadn't realized that when he'd offered to swing by Rikan Corp to pick her up, he'd offered to take her grocery shopping as well. Cress had insisted that the short notice she'd received from him about dinner didn't allow her enough time to adequately plan out a meal, so he'd caved against his better judgment. He certainly hadn't expected to end up in the grocery store for almost an hour. Cress had been transfixed by the international food aisle that this particular store had, and they'd gotten stuck there for far too long. The whole thing felt _way_ too domestic for his comfort zone.

* * *

When they arrived at her place, Thorne was surprised to see that she had a townhouse all to herself. For some reason, he'd expected a small apartment with at least a roommate or two. The driveway even merged with a little path that led to a decently-sized backyard. The most impressive part of the townhouse, though, was that giant window panes were installed where one would normally have walls. Once inside, he stared at the frozen-over creek in her backyard, feeling as though he could walk right through the air to reach it. Most of the snow from the storm had melted by now, but a light dusting still remained.

"No curtains?" he asked.

"I have curtains in my bedroom, but that's it."

"But you have no privacy in the rest of the house from your neighbors."

She shrugged. "Claustrophobia, remember?"

He did remember. It was hard to forget their time trapped in the elevator and all of her crying. Still, he did think it a bit odd that someone would go out of their way so much just to avoid smaller spaces. Then again, he obviously hadn't bothered to research the topic, so he let it go.

"So...what are you making?"

Cress placed two of her bags in front of the fridge and bent down to pick out what she needed. "Chicken French. Well, a variation of it."

Thorne's mouth watered. "Excellent choice. How much sherry do you use in your version?"

She stopped unpacking the grocery bags. "Wait, you can cook?"

"Of course I can cook," he bragged. "Is there anything more attractive than a man who knows how to cook? If there is, tell me, because I need that information."

Cress seemed to be thinking it over. "I'm not really sure," she said. "I've never really thought about it."

"It was sort of a rhetorical question." Thorne studied her for a moment and then decided to lean against the small island in the middle of her kitchen. It was granite. Another detail he hadn't been expecting. "Anyway, I'm nowhere near as good as Scarlet—she's one of my friends—but I know enough dishes to impress the ladies."

"Interesting," she said, though she didn't look that interested at all, really, and went back to unloading the groceries. "I kind of thought you'd have servants to cook for you."

"Uhh, servants? No, absolutely not."

"But you're friends with Kai," she continued. "I figured you'd be really rich too."

"Ah, you're after my money."

Cress looked flustered. "No!"

"I was just kidding, Cress. I grew up wealthy like Kai—maybe not _as_ wealthy—but I choose to live more modestly now. I can tell you more about that some other time."

"Okay," she replied. "Well since you know how to cook then, we can put you to work. Why don't you start by making the egg and breadcrumb mixture?"

* * *

Dinner went rather smoothly. Besides being a good cook, Cress was shaping up to be a lot more stable than he'd perceived her to be in the elevator. She remained a bit reserved, yet had enough to say to keep his interest. It was obvious that she was shy around him, but with a little encouragement she seemed to come out of her shell just a bit. Cress laughed at his jokes, which was a definite plus. She had a warm, youthful, and almost naïve disposition that was kind of refreshing. She wasn't particularly flirty though, which was different from what he'd expected.

Then again, he hadn't really known what to expect when he'd accepted her invitation to come over. Besides, of course, that she was attracted to him. Naturally. Still, he continued having difficulty reading her, despite that the fact that he was no longer blinded by the darkness in the elevator. Thorne wasn't as convinced after dinner that she was as into him as he'd imagined. Not that he needed her to be. But he'd rather enjoyed kissing her at the Masquerade, and he wouldn't mind a Round Two, particularly if it didn't involve her passing out halfway through. So when Cress asked if he'd like to stay and watch a movie, he was more than happy to say yes. In his experience, "watching a movie" was code for making out on the couch.

"I think we should watch Tangled, so you can see why I like Rapunzel."

Interesting. Maybe this was her thing. Maybe she just needed a little bit of that fairy tale to get her going.

"Sure," he replied.

"You don't mind? I know we already talked about Disney and all that, but it really is a good movie. My favorite."

"How bad can it be?" he asked.

She brightened. "Great! The movie is under the DVD player, so if you don't mind setting it up, I'll make the popcorn!"

Popcorn? Were they really gonna do this? Or did she just want to seem less desperate? Whatever. He would just go with it.

* * *

Cress was so into it. _Unbelievably_ into it.

The movie, that is.

She was captured by every word, acting as though she'd memorized it. She even sang along to some of the songs. It was ridiculous. Okay, it was a little cute too, but _definitely_ still ridiculous. He couldn't believe she was falling for this nonsense. Thorne watched as Flynn Rider gave up the stolen crown so he could be with Rapunzel.

"Ugh," he groaned, "he's so weak!"

Cress didn't take her eyes off the screen. "It's so romantic," she breathed.

"He had so much game and gave it up. For what?"

"For _love_ ," she said.

Thorne snorted. "Love? Please. They've known each other for what? A day? And look at this poor shmuck, he's been duped by that little Blondie into thinking that this is the life he wants."

Cress didn't respond. Thorne chewed on his popcorn as more so-called heartbreak and singing unfolded in front of him.

"Besides, who would want to live in a palace?" He shuddered. "And tied down like that?"

She paused the film and looked at him as though he'd murdered a puppy. "Are you joking? Who would turn down all those riches?"

"Cress, wealth isn't everything. Some wealth, good. A lot of wealth, bad. Just look at Kai. No, wait," he amended, "actually, don't. I probably shouldn't talk about him 'cause he's your boss." That slope could get slippery really quickly. Kai didn't need other people knowing about his drama.

"What exactly do you do for a living then, so you don't have to worry about money?"

"I'm in the stock market business." Thorne tossed a piece of popcorn in the air and caught it in his mouth.

"You work for a trading company?"

"I work for myself."

"You're a consultant."

"No."

"So you don't have a job, is what you're saying."

"Who needs a job if you can make money without actually working?"

Cress turned around in the couch and pulled her legs up so her whole body faced him. Then she leaned in as if she could better understand him if she were closer.

"Yes...?" he asked.

"I don't get it."

"I invest and I take a lot of risks. Calculated risks, of course, but I've studied the market since I was in middle school and I daresay I've figured out quite a few tricks. My risks usually pay off. I'm quite talented."

"I always thought the stock market was a bit like gambling."

"You're not far off," said Thorne, impressed by her observation. "I was really into gambling when I was younger, mostly in college. I love the thrill of it but it comes with a world of trouble. Not that I don't still enjoy the occasional trip to Vegas now and then, but I like to think of what I do now as... _positive_ gambling."

She tensed. "Is it legal?"

He threw a piece of popcorn at her. " _Yes_. I'm not in college anymore, Cress. I definitely dabbled in a lot of illegal stuff back then, but I've moved on from that. Turned my life around and blah blah blah. You can't stay on that path forever."

He winked at her, and she seemed to relax a bit. "Good. I can't be hanging out with people who are involved with illegal things."

Thorne eyed her suspiciously for a moment. Kai had said she had a shady past. Surely he didn't mean that she had a criminal past, did he? Nah. There was no way Kai would hire someone like that. Someone like _him_. But Thorne didn't dare broach that subject with Cress. She probably just wanted to make sure he wasn't dangerous.

"Come on," he said, scooting closer to her. "We really need to finish this movie. I think Flynn Rider's going to have a heart attack if he doesn't make sweet, passionate love to Rapunzel sometime soon."

Cress rolled her eyes, but then turned excitedly back to the TV. Thorne rested his head back into the couch, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips.


	12. Chapter 12

**KAI**

The girl next to Kai on the plane wouldn't shut up. He was doing his best to ignore her, but the last leg of the flight seemed like an eternity. The girl had woken up from her nap sometime over the Atlantic ocean, and that was when she noticed Kai. She'd walked back from the bathroom and instead of going back to her seat across the aisle, she had gasped and flopped into the empty seat next to him. Her name was Pearl, and she was his _biggest_ fan, and she read up on the Rikan Corp family in every magazine she could get her hands on. In fact, she was convinced that she knew more about Kai than Kai knew about himself. Kai had politely responded at first, and then realized that she refused to leave. So he put on his headphones and pretended to watch a movie. Pearl then chose the same movie and began to talk to him about everything going on in said movie.

It was embarrassing.

And highly irritating. Kai made a mental note to never fly business class again. In the future, he'd cash in on his celebrity status and take advantage of a first class _private_ seat.

Kai couldn't have been happier when his plane touched down on American soil. Much like the girl next to him, Beijing had been a pain. He despised board meetings, summits, conferences, and generally anything involved with the key players of Rikan Corp. It wasn't that Kai disliked finance or business strategy per say, but rather everything else that came along with dealing with the people who were involved in his father's company. He had the feeling that the majority of people who attended the Annual Summit used it as an excuse to wine and dine in an exotic country for a week. For Kai, the stress just doubled from a normal work week. For the last two years, his father had insisted that he meet basically every person on the planet that could possibly have some sort of connection with Rikan Corp in the future. These people needed to be entertained, and apparently Kai was the perfect person to do that.

"This prepares you for all the networking and socializing you'll do when you're in my position later," his father always said. "You'll need these connections. Best if they get to know you already."

Levana had given him a massive headache during the meetings too. Not that this wasn't normal, but after their last dinner together, he'd really hoped that she would begin to see things from his perspective. He had tried hard not to show his irritation around her, but this week in Beijing had been particularly vexing; she'd only made it worse. He set a reminder in his phone to send her some of the counter-arguments he'd come up with during the flight back to the USA. Maybe there was no use in trying, though. It seemed like nothing he ever said regarding Rikan Corp would ever be taken seriously by her or her family.

When his phone registered that he was back in the United States, he got flooded with text messages. He really should have gotten an international plan a long time ago to avoid having to deal with so many messages at once, but at least it was something to do while he waited to deplane. Kai deleted most of them. Clients. Nainsi. Nainsi again. Levana. Dad. More clients.

A text from Scarlet. _Thorne told me you weren't doing so great. Come over any time you want._

"Maybe you should mind your own business, Thorne," Kai muttered to no one in particular. Maybe he'd take Scarlet up on the offer, though.

Kai saw that he had a text from Thorne too. _You get that generator yet?_

Whoops. Kai had completely forgotten about the elevator debacle while in Beijing. Maybe his Purchasing Manager could look into that. But really, how often did that sort of thing happen? Thorne had just been unlucky. The thought made Kai snicker. Thorne was always the lucky one. Surely he would manage to twist this situation to his advantage somehow too.

There was also a text from an unknown number which he quickly skimmed. _Hi, it's Cinder. Can we meet up when you get back?_

Kai did a double take and re-read the message while the dormant butterfly in Kai's stomach suddenly decided to wake up. Cinder had texted him. And she wanted to see him. He immediately typed out a response, and then deleted it just as quickly. It was too eager. Clearly that had been a problem when he'd chased after her at the Masquerade. He had to be cool, collected. His text should _not_ scream that he was the guy smiling like a fool on the tarmac.

Instead, he let it sink in: something in his life might actually be looking up. And that something was a beautiful girl that he could possibly have a chance with. Kai thought about his response carefully before typing it out. _Sounds great. Maybe sometime this week?_

To his surprise, Cinder texted him back almost immediately. _Dinner tomorrow? Come by Alec's._

Tomorrow. He would probably be over his jetlag by then. His stomach would probably be just as jumpy though. _Okay. I know just the place._

_But only if I get to pay,_ Cinder replied. _And this is not a date._

His heart sank a little at the last line, but it didn't matter right now. He was just happy to be making any progress at all. _Got it. Let's just get to know each other better_.

_No expectations?_ she asked.

_No expectations._

Well, maybe just one. He was going to sweep her off her feet—some way or another.

* * *

Kai actually dressed down on purpose. No, he didn't wear his gray hoodie, but he did settle for a nice pair of jeans, a black dress shirt, and a little gel in his hair. Though it made him feel out of his element, he realized before going to bed yesterday that 1) he was not going to a business function and 2) he was not going on a date, so he couldn't give off that impression. He also didn't want to make Cinder feel as though she had to dress up just because he normally did. When he put on his coat, he looked just like a regular guy headed out on the town.

When he pulled up to the garage, he was a mix of nerves and excitement. Kai had been waiting for this moment since practically the moment he'd met Cinder (once he finally starting admitting to himself that he liked Cinder, his intentions in the past became much clearer). At the same time, his experience with her at the Masquerade made him very apprehensive. What if whatever he'd done then to make her run away was something he couldn't fix? What if he scared her away again? What if, what if, what if…? Kai ran his fingers into his hair, forgetting that it was slightly spiked up from the gel. He double-checked himself in the mirror to make sure he was still presentable, and then went inside.

When he found Cinder, she pointed at the restroom. "Give me a moment to change?"

"Sure."

Kai glanced at the middle-aged man sitting behind the counter and nodded politely to him.

"You're Thorne's friend, right?" Alec asked.

"Yup."

"How come you never bring your car here?" he inquired.

Kai listed his head in the direction of the bathroom. "I guess I probably should start doing that, huh."

Alec grunted in agreement. Cinder came out of the bathroom, and Kai allowed himself a few moments to take her in. She'd taken off her work clothes and changed into jeans and a jacket like him. He was happy to note that his outfit fit hers—she looked normal too. Except for her brown eyes, which had infiltrated his dreams lately. She'd always stand out as long as they continued to warm up the room like that.

"You look great," he said.

"Great is kind of generic, don't you think?" she said, but she looked rather pleased at the compliment nonetheless.

"Noted. I just meant, you know, for coming off a work shift," he tried to explain.

She grinned. "No grease smudge this time. I made sure."

"I like your grease smudges," he teased.

"So, where are we going? A palace rooftop? An enchanted garden you have behind your house?

"Hmm," said Kai, not deterred by her sarcasm. "You said this wasn't a date, so I had to un-enchant the garden this time, unfortunately."

"Ha-ha."

"Actually, there's a cute little café not too far from here. They serve crepes for dinner, and after being in Beijing for a week, I could use something a little different. What do you say?"

"I still get to pay, right?"

"You get to pay for me too."

"Great."

"Do you want to walk there? I know you like walking." He pointed in the direction of the café.

She began to walk right away and Kai hurried to catch up with her. "It's not that I necessarily like walking, especially not in the winter, it's just that I'm used to it. I don't have a car, and I don't want to pay for cabs all the time, so when there's no subway or bus running at a convenient time, I walk. After awhile, you don't mind it as much. It gives me time to think."

Kai tried to think of something intelligent to reply to that, but he knew that she would probably just mock him about his life of privilege and having a private driver. She'd made it clear in their few interactions that she had a problem with it. He wanted to keep the conversation light.

"What do you think about?" Okay, maybe not as light as he would have liked.

She looked at him a little strangely. "It's not like I'm constantly thinking about the same thing."

"Most frequently, then, I guess. You said you liked to work on cars because it gets you out of your head—"

"You remember that?"

He shrugged casually. "Of course. So, what do you think about when you're 'in your head' then, so to speak?"

She stared straight ahead for awhile, as if contemplating. Kai looked down and had a strong urge to reach out and grab her hand as they walked. Their time together at the Masquerade was still fresh in his mind, and he wanted to bring her closer to him again. It was so hard to hold back now, when they'd already taken that step forward. It wasn't a date though, he reminded himself. He had to hold back, even if it was difficult. He wouldn't bring up the Masquerade for now either. He had to give her the space she needed to come around. And if he were charming and sweet and thoughtful on their non-date? Well, if he managed to do that somehow, it wouldn't hurt anyone.

"I think a lot about my life and the responsibilities I have. They're hard to forget," she finally said.

"Me too," he said, surprised at her response. "That's usually what I'm trying not to think about. It consumes me anyway."

"Oh, right," she mumbled. "I should have realized. Running a company and all that. That does sound exhausting."

"It is, but I wasn't trying to compare myself to you. I'm sorry if it came off that way. I just wanted to, relate, I guess. It's nice to know there's someone out there who feels similarly, even if it's about a different situation."

She stopped at a corner. "Which way?"

Kai pointed. "It's actually just down this street."

They reached the café in silence, and he was grateful that Cinder let him open the door for her, and even take her coat at the table. He didn't tell Cinder that he'd gotten a special table reserved due to his "status," even though the place had been booked solid when he'd called yesterday. She probably wouldn't like to know that fact.

"I haven't eaten much French food," she admitted.

"Have you had a crepe before?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, kind of. On the street a few times. There's just so many choices on this menu."

"That's why it's such a neat place to come to. You'll never want to get the same thing twice because everything is so good. Try a salty one first." He pointed at the entrée section. "Something with a meat—or not, if you're a vegetarian," he added quickly.

"I'm not," she said.

"Okay, well then try one of these. Then for dessert, we can split a sweet crepe."

She looked at him over her menu, eyebrow raised.

"With two separate spoons and plates, _obviously_ ," he said, making a face at her but then giving her his most dazzling smile. She suddenly looked flustered, while Kai, on the other hand, was extremely pleased with himself. He would definitely have to keep smiling all night if he could get that response out of her.

"I think about my family a lot," Cinder said when their crepes had arrived. "When I'm walking, I mean."

"Do you have a big family?"

"No," she said thoughtfully. "I don't really have family anymore, and that's something I dwell on a lot, even if I don't want to. There's a cousin that I see from time to time when she visits. My mom and I are estranged. I owe her some money though, so I do have to see her when I make payments."

"Sounds like a bad deal," Kai commented.

"Honestly, that's why I work so much."

"Do you need any help?" Kai asked.

"No!" she spluttered, "that's not what I was implying."

"Sorry," said Kai quickly. "I wasn't trying to impose. I just wanted to help."

"It's not your job to help me," she said.

"I know. I'm sorry."

There was a long, awkward silence. Kai hated himself for having made the suggestion. She was right, obviously; it was none of his business whether Cinder had money or not. And he shouldn't have offered. He just wasn't used to having money problems and couldn't stand the thought of her being in need. Her knowing that had surely lowered him down several points in her book. She probably thought he was a presumptuous snot now who threw money at everyone.

"I don't really get along that well with my family either," he said. "My dad puts an incredible amount of pressure on me to be the next CEO of Rikan Corp. He's been grooming me for this since I was a child. It might sound glamorous, but it's really not. The only thing we talk about now is the company. It's like he doesn't even realize I'm a person anymore."

"Well, as a person, what kind of things do you like doing when you're not busy at Rikan Corp?"

"I don't really do that much anymore," he admitted. "Rikan Corp has taken over my life lately. I feel like I work all the time, and when I get off work I have to go to social events for the company too. It's like it never ends."

"But you want to lead Rikan Corp."

"I've always known that I would," he said simply.

"That's not the same thing."

"For me, it might as well be."

"I see. You're not working now, though."

"I'm with you now."

She smiled. "Yeah. You are."

"I took the day off," he admitted.

Cinder stuck her tongue out at him. "Lucky."

"Just eat your crepe," he said.

* * *

Something about the combination of crepes, Nutella, and strawberries made Cinder open up and relax. They stopped talking about money, responsibilities, and problems. Kai found out that she was actually trying to use spare parts to bring an old car she'd found at a junkyard back to life. Cinder thought it would give her more street cred, since her customers often asked her what kind of car she drove. Kai was fairly certain that this type of project might be a good one in which to enlist Thorne. He didn't tell Cinder though, for fear that she might think it was a charity project or something. He'd mention it to Thorne and see if he could find some clever, smooth way to participate. Thorne had a way with people that Kai didn't have, and surely if he suggested it, it wouldn't come off as offensive. Kai did offer to come hang out some time, if she ever needed company. Cinder told him that he would just be a distraction. He hoped that was a good thing.

When the bill came—and Cinder paid—they made their way back to Kai's car.

"Am I allowed to drive you back to your house now, or do you still not want me to know where you live?" He meant for it to come out kind of like a joke, but he wasn't sure if she'd take offense at his words.

"That's not why I wouldn't let you take me to my subway line," she said.

"No?"

"No. I was trying to get rid of you."

"Oh. Well that makes me feel _much_ better."

She jabbed him with her elbow. "I think I'm over it."

Kai grabbed her arm gently to keep her from walking any more. "Cinder..."

She met his gaze for an instant, then fixed it on Kai's hand that was holding her. He let her go and moved an inch closer.

Cinder took a step back. "Kai, don't do this."

"Do what? Look at you?"

"You know what," she said, though this time she let her eyes meet his.

He tried his best to smile. "I don't want to push you. I respect the fact that maybe you want to take it slow." He hesitated, reminding himself not to bring up the Masquerade just yet. Why did they have to avoid this topic? "Despite some of our differences, there's something here, Cinder. I feel it and I know you feel it too."

She shook her head fervently. "No, it's just—we're friends, and—"

"Okay, we're friends," said Kai. "But my intentions aren't to be your friend. I think you know that."

She nodded.

"All I want is for you to give me a chance. I know I often say the wrong things, and I know that I may have come on too strong at…well, in the past. But I just want us to spend more time together. Get to know each other. Can we do that?"

A long pause. "Maybe," she said quietly.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped he wasn't pushing his luck. "Can I take you out on a proper date?"

"How would that be different from what we did today?"

"It wouldn't be, except that I wouldn't have to pretend like I don't like you. Because I do."

Her cheeks grew flushed against the cold winter air. "I know."

"So what do you say?" He looked at her with as much hope as he could muster. She stared back at him and considered.

"Maybe you should come to my house first."

Kai's heart almost jumped out of his chest. "Tonight?"

She laughed. "No, Kai, not like that."

Kai was sure his ears were pink. "Of course not."

"I think you should come over some time and see how I live and what my life is like. See if you still feel the same. There are some things you have to know about me first."

"Cinder, it doesn't matter to me where you live."

"Now it doesn't," she said.

"So does that mean you're saying yes?"

"I'm only saying yes to the getting to know each other part, not the date part."

Kai's grin must have stretched up to his eyes. "I'll take it."

"Can we keep walking now? I'm freezing."

"Oh, right. Of course."

"I'm taking the subway home tonight, though," she insisted.

"You're so demanding, Cinder."

"Nah, I just know what I want," she said, and then she winked at him.


	13. Chapter 13

Kai waited patiently for Cinder to contact him to hang out again. In the meantime, he busied himself with the mountains of work that had piled up while he was in Beijing. It was a bit mundane, but Kai felt a new skip in his step since his night with Cinder at the crepe café. Basically everyone on his floor had a proposal or project that needed his attention or signature, among other issues that he had to attend to.

His father's press secretary called to ask him to give a comment for a particularly relentless reporter. The press secretary was all apologies and regret for not being able to get rid of her, but insisted that not offering a comment might actually make things worse. Apparently, this reporter had seen him dance with Cinder at the Masquerade, and wanted to know the identity of his "mystery fling." This news put him on immediate alert. Now was not the time to make Cinder run away screaming from fear of the paparazzi. Kai wanted to ignore his press secretary's advice, but being secretive now might cause them to keep digging. He decided to have his press secretary tell the reporter that he'd just had a good time with some friends, and he wasn't sure to which specific person they were referring, because he'd danced with a lot of women that night. His response was all lies, but regrettably, situations like this often called just for that.

Someone had also tried to hack into their servers while the senior staff was away, but Huy Deshal told an entire office of executives that Kai had made a wise choice in hiring Crescent Darnel. Not only had she blocked the hack, but she had also managed to implant a counter-virus which had led to the eventual location of the would-be hackers, and their consequent arrest. Apparently, it had gone so smoothly that Huy hadn't even felt the need to alert anyone about it until their return.

The mention of Crescent Darnel brought Kai's mind back to the last time he had seen Thorne. Had he actually decided to see Cress since the elevator incident, or had he just been messing with Kai? He'd seen how uptight Kai had been about it—maybe Thorne was just trying to give Kai a hard time. He texted Thorne to see if he wanted to get together that night, but Thorne simply replied:

_Can't. Going to see about a new girl tonight._

There were a few suggestive emoticons attached to the text as well. Kai was pleased to see that Thorne had clearly moved on from Cress, and didn't give it another thought. He animatedly texted that he'd hung out with Cinder at the Creperie. Thorne sent him some more emoticons that made him very nearly blush before putting his phone away.

When Cinder finally called him a few days later, he was surprised that she didn't invite him to her house. Kai thought that this would be a given based on their conversation walking to his car. Hadn't she insisted that he see "how she lived" first? He decided it was better not to press the issue, and gladly accepted an invitation to go to lunch during Cinder's break. They went to lunch together a few times after that as well, which mostly involved them driving around while Kai talked. Cinder listened intently, and it seemed like she cared about what he had to say. Despite her jokes, something about her was reserved, but he didn't get the impression that she was shy. She was holding back, and he was determined to find out what. Until she was ready to share, though, he simply enjoyed her presence. He felt lighter after hanging out with her. Less intense. And certainly less like he was forty.

When he finally did see Thorne, all he could do was gush about the time he spent with Cinder. He dissected the details like a giddy little school girl. At least, that's what Thorne told him. But Kai didn't care. He was so… _happy_. And he knew Thorne was happy for him too. The smile he gave Kai was practically one of triumph.

When Kai was driving Cinder back to the garage one afternoon, she finally said, "Sunday I have off. You should come over then." He couldn't contain his grin, thrilled at the idea of getting not only the privilege of seeing her in her home environment, but also on the weekend. When Cinder saw him smiling, she reached out and gave his thigh a quick squeeze before returning the smile. Kai nearly drove off the road.

* * *

Kai bought her flowers. He worried it was too date-like, but after five lunch "non-dates," he was rather confident that she liked him too. It was simply time for flowers. Pretty ones. Pretty like her.

When he arrived, Cinder buzzed him in. The neighborhood itself didn't seem so bad, though it definitely wasn't like the areas of the city where Kai, Thorne, or even Kesley and Scarlet lived. The building just seemed a little more worn down than the average apartment he'd seen. For some reason, he'd been expecting Cinder to live in a shady alley with prison-style bars around the windows. Maybe it was because of how much she'd try to "warn" him about her "living conditions." Whatever that meant. The apartment complex seemed fine.

Several flights of stairs later, Kai was sure that the only obvious disadvantage was the lack of an elevator. Then he felt like a spoiled brat, and cleared his mind. Cinder liked walking anyway, didn't she? Maybe all these stairs were just a warm-up for her.

Kai pulled the flowers out from behind his back after she opened the door.

"A peony bouquet!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "How did you know these were my favorite?"

Kai beamed. "I didn't. I just thought they were pretty. They reminded me of you."

"Thorne give you that line?" she asked, but her eyes were still dancing with delight.

He pretended to be shocked, but then said semi-seriously, "Actually, I haven't seen too much of Thorne lately. First I was in Beijing for work, and now he's busy because he's hanging out with a new girl."

"A few weeks ago, I was the new girl," Cinder mused.

Kai cringed awkwardly. "Ehm—we already talked about this, I think. In his kitchen, right? He just goes out of with a lot of women. _Never_ at the same time, though," he stressed.

"A lot of women at his place then."

"Sometimes," Kai admitted.

"Should I be worried then?"

"About what?"

"How often do you steal his girls?"

Kai reddened slightly. "Oh, never. We don't have the same taste in girls."

"And yet here I am," she said.

"Well—I—uh, hey! Does this mean that I did in fact manage to steal you?"

"From Thorne? Definitely."

Her light tone made Kai relax, but then he realized he was still standing a bit awkwardly in the doorway. "So, now that we have that issue aside, are you going to invite me in?"

"Oh," she said shyly, opening the door wider. "Right."

Kai brushed her shoulder lightly with his hand as he stepped past her to get inside. Coat still on, he surveyed the room. It was actually a small studio-style apartment. It was very tidy. His eyes breezed over the kitchen area, several bookshelves, the door to the bathroom, and finally landed on the living area, which appeared to double as a bedroom. There were a lot of pictures in that area, all with smiling faces, yet none of landscapes, he noted. Kai slipped off his coat and walked toward the kitchen table, where he draped it over one of the chairs. Cinder followed him silently.

"So is this the part where you tell me about the ghost who lives here?"

"W-what?" she stuttered.

"You set me up to believe like something was seriously wrong with your apartment. And yet it seems like a perfectly functional place where someone lives. It's even clean."

"I'm not really a messy person," she said.

"Where are all your tools? I thought you'd have some sort of workbench or something."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you bring all your work home with you?"

"Actually, yes," Kai admitted. "It's kind of a problem."

"Well, some of us don't want to mix personal and professional. Though with a step-dad who was in the racing business, that wasn't always possible."

"Who are all the people in the pictures?" Kai asked as he walked toward the living room area. He felt more comfortable calling it that in his head than admitting again that it was the bedroom area.

Cinder joined him and pointed at a few. "That's my cousin, Winter. She's the one I was telling you about. And that's her husband Jacin."

"Husband?" Kai asked. "They look rather young."

"They got married when they were like, 21, I think. They've been best friends since as long as I can remember. Once they finally admitted to each other that they were in love, it didn't take too long for him to pop the question."

"But they don't live here."

"No, but they come maybe once every two months?" She scrunched her face, calculating. "Maybe you'll meet them sometime."

"I'd like that," he said. "Now who are all these kids?"

"Oh, just kids I've met or worked with. I volunteer at the hospital sometimes."

"Which one?"

"Farafrah. The one on 8th and 36?"

"Yeah, I know that one. Rikan Corp sometimes donates there."

"I know," she said, "I've seen your wing there in the past. It's wonderful that you're involved with something like that."

Kai thought that it was much more wonderful that Cinder volunteered with children at a hospital, rather than just give money. But, admittedly, they both had their place.

"You have a lot of books too."

"You're just a regular Sherlock Holmes today, aren't you?"

Kai smirked as he walked to the nearest bookcase. "Just enjoying getting to know a little more about you." He perused the spines and eventually pulled a book off of the shelf. " _The Lunar Chronicles_ , huh?"

Cinder suddenly became _very_ excited. "It's my new favorite series! There's this girl and she meets this Prince—"

"—and let me guess, they live happily ever after?"

Cinder crossed her arms, but began to speak with even more enthusiasm. "No, not really, well—at least not yet—I'm _hoping_ they will, but that's beside the point. It's set in the future and it's like a cross between Cinderella and Star Wars and The Terminator. And the main character is a cyborg. With an _android_ best friend."

Kai raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but grin at how excited she was over this book. She was so cute right now. "I guess that's one I'll have to read."

"Would you seriously?" she said with just a little too much eagerness.

"Sure," said Kai. "If you like it that much, I bet it's good. I don't usually get the chance to do too much reading outside of work normally, but with such a high recommendation, how could I not?" He opened the book and began rifling through. "Cyborgs, huh?"

Cinder suddenly ripped the book out of his hands. "Kai, no! You cannot just open up a book and skim through it. What if you landed on a spoiler?"

Kai looked down at his thumb. A little bit of blood had appeared. "I think you just gave me a papercut. If that's the punishment for possibly reading a spoiler, I definitely won't take my chances again."

"Oh, spades! I'm sorry!" Cinder looked miserable.

"Don't worry about it."

"I shouldn't have gotten so excited about the book," she said.

"Do you have a bandaid?" he asked.

"Yes, I have a box of them. They should be under the sink. Second drawer maybe?"

"Okay, hang on to your enthusiasm just a little longer. I want to hear about this cyborg when I get back."

Kai stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He saw in the mirror that he was grinning just a bit too much. He couldn't help it, though. The adorable girl on the other side of the door was a mechanic who loved reading and volunteering with children at hospitals. How could he not grin?

He opened the various drawers of the sink until he found the bandaid box. Should he pretend that he was more hurt than he was just to get a little extra tender loving care? He rolled his eyes at himself. He had a papercut, not a bullet wound. Things were going so well. Now was not the time to be ridiculous.

There was a cabinet behind him, and even though he felt a bit like he was sneaking around, he decided to open it to see what was kept inside. Nothing special, he noted. Some make up, some medicine, plenty of hair scrunchies, and...his eyes halted on something in the corner.

A white mask, facedown. Kai picked it up and turned it in his hands. It had little shiny gemstones. His stomach knotted.

He had been right. Cinderella _was_ Cinder. The girl outside the door who he had been admiring just moments ago was also the same girl he'd kissed. And no matter what the consequences, he didn't want to sweep that under the rug anymore.

When he left the bathroom, Cinder was sitting on the edge of her bed, book still in hand. She looked up in anticipation, but her face fell the second she saw the mask.

"I knew it was you," said Kai.

Cinder's eyes remained fixed on the floor.

"I kissed you back that night because I wanted it to be you. Because I already liked you before that night even started. But then you ran away when I tried to talk to you about it. Why? Why didn't you want to admit that I was right?"

Cinder studied him, then a look of determination and nonchalance clouded her expression. She stood up and tossed the book onto the top of the bookshelf before approaching him.

"I just wanted to have a night without worrying about anything. What I looked like, you know?"

"I like the way you look," said Kai. He wondered if maybe she was just a little self-conscious.

"Sure, you do now, but you haven't seen the real me," she said. "You like some girl who dressed up and wore a mask. Someone who would never look or act like that in real life." She held up her hand in protest when Kai tried to speak. "And that was fine with me. I wanted to go to the Masquerade to have fun. Just…do whatever I wanted."

"Which included kissing me?"

"We had champagne and you asked me to dance, and…you looked rather handsome that night."

"But I just told you that I liked you _before_ the Masquerade. I was waiting for you to show up the whole night."

"It doesn't matter, Kai. It was just a kiss."

Kai reeled. "Just a kiss? Seriously? We made out for like, fifteen minutes, during which time _both of us_ knew who the other person was. If you just wanted a kiss you could have danced with someone else."

Cinder huffed and waved her hands exasperatedly in the air. "Whatever, Kai."

"Can you please just be open with me?" Kai asked, trying to steady his voice. "Please, just do me this courtesy."

"Fine," she said indignantly. "Yes, Kai, I want you, okay? Is that what you want to hear?"

"If it's the truth," he said, not daring to hope.

She shook her head. "I knew from the first time we talked in the kitchen at Thorne's that I wanted you."

Kai's knees could have collapsed from both elation and frustration. He wasn't sure which emotion he felt more strongly in that moment. "Then what is holding you back? Why am I here now if you don't want to keep moving forward? If you want me, and I want you, why can't we just go back to that night and give it a proper ending, rather than you just running away from me?"

"It wouldn't work out between us," she said flatly.

"Because of your apartment? Isn't that what you said at the café? That I have to see how you live?" He folded his arms. "Well I've seen it, and I like it, Cinder. It's small, and quiet, and it doesn't matter to me that you don't have a penthouse. Do you have any idea how much I hate _my_ penthouse? I spend pretty much all my free time at Thorne's just so I don't have to be there."

"I understand that you're frustrated. I'm frustrated too. But there are things that will always keep us apart. Like your wealth, for example."

Kai ran both his hands through his hair. "What do you want me to do? Give up everything? I can't help the situation I was born into."

"No, I could never ask you to do that. That's not what I meant, anyway."

"Are you sure it's my money you have a problem with, and not me?"

"I don't have a problem with the money itself. I just have a problem with you spending money on _me_. You've already done enough for me."

"Cinder, you haven't let me do one single thing for you. You wouldn't even let me pay for that cab ride to work when you got snowed in at Thorne's!"

She flopped down on the bed in exasperation and covered her eyes. Kai stayed rooted to where he stood on the floor.

"You know, I just wanted to meet new people when I agreed to go to Thorne's house for dinner with his friends. I work too much and the only other people I really see besides Iko are the guys at the garage. So I'm all ready to have a normal night out with my best friend, and possibly make new friends. And who knows, maybe even get to know this admittedly good-looking, flirty, though frankly not-my-type guy who just _happened_ to show interest in me. In _me_. And honestly, most clients that come to the garage are really old, because who else can afford the types of cars we work on?" She wrinkled her nose. "I had to take that opportunity. But then I show up at Thorne's house, and what do you know, I find myself instantly attracted to another guy at the party, so I begin to feel guilty within thirty seconds of showing up. And then, to make it worse, of all people, it's the heir to Rikan Corp."

She was on her back, hands still over her eyes. When Kai didn't say anything, she peeped through her fingers. "Stop me from word vomiting any time, Kai."

"Oh no, please do continue. I'm rather enjoying hearing about how you were attracted to me instead of Thorne. Except I'd like to know how me being the heir to Rikan Corp makes it worse."

Cinder groaned. "As soon as I found out, I knew it could never work. I accepted it. But then guess what? Besides being good-looking, you just _had_ to go and be all nice and sweet and decent too, didn't you? We had to have good conversation. Oh and then you had to keep asking me for my number and trying to invite me to do things with you."

"That's kind of standard for a guy when he likes a woman," Kai pointed out.

"So I went to the Masquerade. Again, to have a good time. But there you were, once again. And yeah, I liked you by then, as I said. So when you asked me to dance, I gave in to my weaker side. I pretended I was someone else. And then I couldn't resist kissing you." Her face was red now, though she was no longer covering her eyes.

Kai crawled onto the bed and propped himself up on his elbows, chin resting on his hands, to study Cinder. "I obviously couldn't resist either," he said. "I can barely resist right now."

Cinder, still on her back, stared up at him. Kai stared intently back, not wanting to break eye contact first. This entire conversation was one gigantic "but" of why they couldn't be together. He wished she would just spit it out. "Please," he said, "a million things are going through my head right now, but not one of them explains why we shouldn't be together."

He reached out to her and placed his hand softly in hers. "Please. Tell me."

She took a deep breath. Let go of his hand. Sat up.

Then she rolled up the bottom part of her pant leg from her ankle to her knee. Then the other leg. Kai sat up too, unable to believe his eyes. Burn marks, scars, and discolored skin covered both her legs. In fact, Kai wasn't able to see anything that looked like regular skin at all. His stomach turned over, leaving him with an empty feeling. What could she have possibly been through to get those scars?

"There's more," she said, before he had a chance to fully process what he'd just seen. "It goes up almost all the way." She got off the bed and stood up. She lifted her shirt just slightly to reveal more scars up to her navel.

"Cinder…" Kai began to say.

"I was pretty young. It was an accident." She sighed. "But it was my fault. I knocked over a candle while my sister was upstairs. I don't remember why I was playing with the candle, or what I was doing, but just that everything was burning so quickly. And I screamed, and my sister came running for me, but it was already so hot, and I was just screaming so much." She paused. "I woke up in the hospital, covered in bandages with excruciating pain all over by body. My sister died."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Kai reached for Cinder, but she took a step away from the bed and shook her head.

"It was a long time ago, like I said. I still miss her sometimes, though."

"Cinder," Kai tried. "I don't care if you have scars. I don't care if they cover your whole body. You're beau—"

" _No_ ," she said. "My scars are not beautiful, so don't call them that. They're a constant reminder of things that I can't take back, and things that I ruined for other people too."

Something tugged in the corner of Kai's mind, making him feel even sadder. "Your mom—Cinder, this isn't—I mean, she doesn't blame you for the accident does she?"

Cinder nodded. "Yeah, she did. She still does. I've come to terms with that though, and accepted that it was an accident—even if she can't—but that's not why we don't speak anymore. Well, besides the money exchange," she added bitterly. "I was burned so badly, Kai. Everywhere. The doctors did what they could, but I was looking at a life of disfigurement. My mom could only cover part of the surgery with the money we had. The insurance considered the procedure plastic surgery, so of course they classified it under 'cosmetic' and not 'necessary.' The hospital recommended looking for donors to off-set the difference of what my mom couldn't afford. And you know who made that generous donation? Rikan Corp."

Kai crinkled his forehead in strained comprehension. He must have been pretty young when this happened if he didn't remember the incident. It would have been in the papers.

"My mom says I drained all of her extra money on the surgery, so I have to pay back what I owe her. I think it's more of a vendetta for killing her daughter—my sister—but I can't argue with her. If she hadn't fronted that money, I would have a deformed face, hands, and arms on top of everything else." She gestured at her still rolled-up pants. "At least this way I can go out in public without everyone immediately knowing what happened to me. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful to be alive."

"Is that why you don't like dressing up?" Kai asked, too stunned to think of anything else he could possibly say at a moment like this.

"It's not that I don't like dressing up, it's more the actual dresses. They reveal too much," she said simply. "I liked the idea of the Masquerade because I knew I could cover up the parts of me that I didn't want exposed."

Kai watched Cinder until she stopped fiddling with her hands nervously, and then patted the mattress next to him. "Would you please come over here? I've been wanting to give you a hug for I don't know, the entire time you've been talking? If anything, do it for me, because I know you'll never let me do it just for you."

Cinder reluctantly sat down next to him. He nearly crushed her in his arms. She didn't put up a fight though. She just resigned herself to his embrace. Finally, when he felt like enough silence had passed between them, he pulled her head gently off his shoulder so he could look at her. Kai ran his fingers through her hair over and over, and then held her face in his hands.

"Look at me, Cinder. I'm so thankful that you trusted me enough to share this information with me. And I'm so sorry for everything that you've been through. And I'm so _proud_ of how well you seem to be handling all of that, because it seems like a heavy burden to bear. Especially alone."

She nodded.

"But I still don't understand why any of this information should keep us apart."

The warm eyes he loved so much filled with sadness. "Our relationship would always be unbalanced. I owe you, Kai. And no matter what I do, no matter how much I want to be with you, there will always be this one thing that I can never pay you back for."

"I don't want you to pay me back, Cinder. I'm not your mom."

"Maybe not, but you get the idea don't you? You've saved my life in so many ways that you don't even know."

Kai shook his head. "I didn't have anything to do with that. It wasn't me personally that did anything. It was a fund, Cinder—just a fund. I'm _glad_ it went to you! I can't imagine my father's money being used for a better cause. It's finally gone to something good. Something pure."

A tear rolled down her cheek. He took it away with his thumb, then placed a kiss on the spot where it had fallen. "You're going to have to come up with a better excuse. Because I'm not going anywhere."

Kai's mouth found hers. A sense of familiarity flooded him as he brushed his lips over every inch of her mouth, and then moved across from one side of her jaw to the other. Cinder ran her hands lightly through his hair. He pulled her gently into a side laying position on the bed and they stayed like that for a long time, eyes searching each other intently. Then one of her legs slid between his, and the other over it, like a stack, pulling their bodies tighter, closer. Kai rested his hand on her hip.

"I want more of this," he said quietly. "I don't want any more pretend dates."

"Can you just stay here?" she asked. "With me?"

"Of course," he said without hesitation.

"Would you stay even if we just lie next to each other and talk?"

"Miss Linh," he said jokingly, "if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were implying that I could possibly have some other intention for staying here."

She laughed. "For now, I'm just really glad we talked. I want to talk more. And I don't want you to go."

Kai laid his head down flat and pulled her onto him so that she could rest her head comfortably on his chest. "I don't care what we do. I'm staying. As long as you like."


	14. Chapter 14

Kai woke up the next morning with Cinder's arm almost suffocating him.

It was pressed over his neck, but not in a romantic way, more in a deadweight kind of way. He slid his hand gingerly under her arm to give his throat more room to breathe, then glanced in her direction and nearly burst out laughing. Cinder was spread out on her stomach with her arms and legs extended like a starfish, her face smushed into the pillow. The idea that someone could find that type of position even remotely comfortable boggled his mind.

This could be a problem for them. Kai was definitely a back sleeper. Maybe the next time he slept over, he'd have to make a little pillow barrier to keep himself in a safe zone from her dangerous tentacles. His heart warmed this little idiosyncrasy that maybe one day they could call "theirs" and have little inside jokes about. That being said, he still clearly needed more space in the bed. He might have to have a chat with her about this.

He rolled the thought around in his mind. It was hard to believe that he'd actually spent the night. Granted, it had transpired because of Cinder's need for comfort and conversation, but it had been fantastic nonetheless. He'd enjoyed every minute of cuddling that she'd allowed him. The conversation had gone quite deep too—it turned out that once Cinder had felt comfortable enough to share her hesitations, a flood of other topics had come pouring out of her. Kai hoped that she wouldn't hold back anymore. He loved this raw, honest version of her that didn't put up so many walls.

He was careful not wake her as he slipped out of bed and over to the bathroom. His internal clock still wasn't letting him sleep past 6:00 A.M. He had hoped that with a little stress relief, he might be able to sleep in more, but now he supposed that it was just sheer habit. The rumpled shirt and pants that he'd fallen asleep in stared back at him in Cinder's mirror, and he took a moment to try to smooth them out. It was futile. When he finally finished freshening up and went to grab his keys off the kitchen table, he hoped that he'd back before Cinder had a chance to wake up.

* * *

Finally, luck was on his side just this once. He slipped back in and placed the coffee and bagels on her table. Then he walked to her bed and sat down beside her. His adorable little starfish. Well, grown up starfish. He could see a nickname forming here. Kai ran his hands through her hair just once and gave her a quick kiss on the head. She didn't budge.

Huh. Wasn't that usually supposed to do the trick in all the romantic films? Unfortunately, he wasn't too experienced with cute morning wake-up calls. He tried again. Cinder slightly grunted, but stayed asleep. Time for Plan B. Kai plopped himself onto the bed rather loudly next to her and bounced a little. Then he squeezed himself underneath her arms until he was right next to her.

"Cinder…" he practically sang, hoping to be annoying. "Wake u-up."

Cinder opened one of her eyes and nearly jumped a mile in the air.

"Whoa!" he said, sitting up. "You okay there?"

She breathed heavily. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," he said, not sorry at all. "I did what I had to do. You wouldn't wake up."

"Oh," she said, looking first at the bed, then to him, then to the bed again. "Hi."

"You probably have to get to work soon, don't you?" he asked.

"Not for another hour," she said. "I did a lot of overtime this week so I have a late start today."

He grimaced. "Whoops."

"That's okay," she said. "It smells good. Did you cook?"

"Why cook when you can buy?" he said.

"Don't tell me you don't cook," she said, rubbing her eyes.

"A little, though not nearly as much as I probably should," he admitted. "As you pointed out yesterday, I'm kind of a spoiled brat."

She laughed. "Yeah, you are."

"I got you bagels and coffee, though. That's got to count for something."

"I suppose."

She grinned and leaned to give him a kiss before she stood up and stretched. Kai went over to the kitchen area and began rummaging through the cabinets.

"In the top right hand corner!" she yelled from the bathroom.

He found two plates there and soon located the knives for the cream cheese—which he'd also bought. Maybe it wasn't so romantic, but even if he could cook, he would still want bagels in the morning.

Cinder reappeared from the bathroom with a pair jeans and a sweater that really flattered her figure. He couldn't help smiling. When she met his gaze, though, her face fell slightly.

"I don't usually do things like this," she said. "So, um, I just wanted to let you know that this was a one-time thing."

Kai's heart sank. "What?"

"You know...sleeping over."

"Oh. Did I…do something wrong?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, not at all! I just don't want to build up your expectations. I mean, I really want to be your, well…"

"Girlfriend?" Kai supplied, loving the sound of it on his tongue.

"Yes, girlfriend. I'm glad we're on the same page with that. But I want to take it slow in the, um, physical department."

"Oh."

"I know that probably seems a little _traditional_ in this day and age." She began to ramble. "But it's my personal decision and I hope you can respect that and I feel like maybe I made a mistake inviting to stay over and maybe I led you on because of that and you're a guy and I don't know what your expectations are and does that disappoint you?"

Kai tried to think of how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Like you said, I _am_ a guy, so…I've thought about it, yes, and I can't say I don't want to, but…obviously only if you want to."

"I don't want to. At least not yet." She was clearly nervous.

"It's like I said yesterday, Cinder. We don't have to do anything. I just want to be around you and be _with_ you. I'm glad you told me; it's better this way. Now I won't try something and you'll feel pressured."

She brightened, relieved. "Thanks."

He patted the chair next to him so she would sit down. "Come on, let's eat. Tell me more about why you feel this way."

* * *

"So, Thorne wants to have another party this weekend," Kai said through a mouthful of Chinese take-out that he'd just shoved in his mouth. He was at Cinder's house for the third time this week, and he was rather enjoying their more consistent time together.

"A dinner party like last time or like a big party?" Cinder asked, swallowing before answering.

"Nntsr." Kai swallowed too. "Excuse me. Not sure. Do you want to come?"

She smiled slyly. "The last time I went to one of Thorne's parties, I met you. Maybe this time, I'll meet someone even cuter."

Kai scoffed. "Please, how could you look at anything besides this handsome face?"

Cinder tried to poke him with her chopsticks, but dropped a dumpling when he ducked back. He stole it off the table with his hand and shoved it in his mouth. "Mmmm."

"Or maybe, someone with better table manners," she said.

"I am the standard of etiquette at my business functions," he said defiantly. "You just bring out the slob in me."

"You're so annoying."

"Annoying adorable?" he asked.

" _Maybe_."

"Well maybe don't meet another cute guy at Thorne's party."

She smiled before taking some more food. "Can I bring Iko again?"

"Sure." He paused before adding, "but it's one of those 'let's-meet-Thorne's-new-girl' parties. Will Iko mind?"

"She actually just met someone, and maybe she'd want to bring him."

"Oh okay, I'm sure that would be fine. Thorne is really laid back about that sort of thing."

"Why does Thorne do that?"

"Do what?"

"Have those parties whenever he meets a new girl."

Kai poked at his food. "He doesn't do it with _every_ girl. But I think it's for a variety of reasons. First, Thorne is really social. He doesn't want to give any woman the impression that she's going to be the only person thing taking up all his time. Second, there's less pressure to have deep conversation. If they don't hit it off too much, or if he's unsure about her, it's easier to have other people around to make it less uncomfortable. Third, parties put Thorne at ease, for some reason. He feels like he's in his element when there are people around to impress or even just, I don't know, put him in the spotlight? The guy likes to show off a bit, in case you haven't noticed. Lastly, I'm pretty sure he thinks it puts the girl at ease because girls don't want a guy who isn't proud of them, so they think it's important to meet his friends."

"You're joking."

"No?"

"Meeting a guy's friends if you're already dating is sort of like a ritual. If the girl likes him, she'll think that he's taking the relationship to the next level."

"You came to his party. Did you think he was taking the relationship to the next level?"

She laughed. "No. Thorne just said he wanted me to come to a casual party with some of his friends. It's not like we were already in a relationship."

"Well, maybe that's what he does with the other girls too."

Cinder shook her head. "Sounds to me like it's just a defense mechanism for Thorne to easily jump ship. Like a disguised dumping strategy."

"I doubt he views it like that. He doesn't invite girls over that he doesn't like, or at least think are cute." Kai shrugged and took a drink. "Maybe he's just hopeful that he'll finally meet the right girl."

"Maybe he should stick around long enough to find out if a girl could even have the possibility of being the right girl. It's kind of hard to know that without spending a lot of time together."

"I've never really thought about it like that. It's just the way Thorne operates."

"You're probably a little blinded by the fact that he's your friend."

"Maybe a little," Kai admitted. "I guess he does give that awful friend speech a lot, though. That I have noticed."

Cinder shuddered. "If that's the case, then I really hope the one he used on me has been perfected for this next girl, because oh my stars, he sucks at it."

* * *

Kai and Cinder arrived a little late to the dinner party. He'd underestimated just how much time it took him to get to Cinder's part of the city and back to Thorne's, now that she was letting him pick her up. He didn't mind though—the fact that she allowed it made his heart skip with an unspoken triumph. When the incredible smell of something baking wafted towards them from the kitchen, Kai couldn't have been happier. Forget Thorne's party. This was his chance to show off _his_ girl for once. He put his arm around Cinder's waist and escorted her proudly to the others.

His glee was short-lived. When they entered the kitchen, Kai nearly fell over in shock when he recognized Thorne hunched over the stove with none other than Crescent Darnel.

Notes from her file flashed through his mind the instant he saw her.

_Vandalism. Theft. Blackmail. Destruction of Property. Restraining Order._

He watched, mesmerized but terrified, as Thorne ladled some of the sauce he was stirring onto a spoon, blew on it, and practically shoved it into her mouth. Her eyes bulged slightly, then she swallowed and bobbed her head enthusiastically. Apparently, whatever he was making tasted good. Thorne reacted by giving her one of his "I'm so charming and awesome" smiles and Kai mocked him silently.

Thorne had been _lying_ to him. "A new girl." Please. Thorne had hidden this intentionally. Kai's shock began to dwindle as anger replaced it.

"Kai!" His attention snapped up as Scarlet bounded over with Kesley. "Can you believe he's cooking? Thorne's really trying to impress this one, it seems."

Kai tried to recover. He had completely forgotten that he still had his arm around Cinder. "Ha…right. Um, Kesley, Scarlet, you remember Cinder, right?"

"How could we forget?" Scarlet said playfully, before giving Cinder a quick hug. "Welcome to the gang."

"Thanks, it's good to see you again." said Cinder. "Have you seen Iko?"

"She and Ran are already here. I think they're chatting in the living room."

"Okay, thanks." Then she turned to Thorne, who hadn't even acknowledged their presence. "Thorne, you're lighting up like the full moon over there!"

Thorne turned around at that and grinned as though they shared some sort of conspiracy. "Hey, that's my line, darling."

He set down his ladle and gestured for Cress. "Cress, you remember Kai." The sly look on Thorne's face told Kai that Thorne knew perfectly well just how much he'd been keeping Kai in the dark. Cress, however, moved closer to Thorne, and looked slightly intimidated.

Kai reached out to shake her hand. "Nice to see you again, Crescent."

"Just Cress, please."

"Sure."

There was an uncomfortable silence, which Thorne broke. "And, this is Kai's new girlfriend, Cinder."

Cinder shook Cress's hand too and the room slowly filled with noise. Kai left Cinder with Cress and Thorne, making the excuse that he was going to get Iko. Cinder seemed happy that he'd noticed she was still missing, so at least he'd done something right in her book. Really, he just needed a moment to put on a cool mask of indifference. Getting Iko and Ran proved to be the perfect diversion, though admittedly he didn't pay much attention to them beyond the standard formalities they exchanged as he led them back to the kitchen.

Iko squealed when she saw Cinder, and Ran went to sit at the table. Cinder finally joined Kai, who tried to be the example of a perfect gentleman.

"Oh Kai," said Cinder, "Cress is so cute."

 _Oh, she's cute alright_ , he thought grimly. _Gee, I wonder_ _why Thorne decided to go for her._ "Yay," he said lamely to Cinder.

"Oh come on, she doesn't seem fake at all, and she's actually quite shy. It's like she balances out Thorne's showiness and outgoing personality."

Yippy, he thought, but the words that came out were, "You don't even know Thorne."

Cinder retreated a step, then listed her head. "Everything okay, Kai?"

He reached for her arm. "Sorry. That came out rude. Let's wait until dinner's over to see how it goes, shall we?"

* * *

Throughout dinner, he studied their interactions intently, barely able to concentrate on Cinder or his food. He brooded. The more he watched Cress with Thorne, the more he was sure that she was just as smitten as all the other girls that Thorne tended to bring home. She had a little glow about her that made it painfully obvious: she definitely liked him. And Thorne, with his attitudes about dating? It couldn't end well. What would she do to him when he put her in the friend zone, as he inevitably did with everyone else?

He was so absorbed in watching the two of them that halfway through the dinner he realized that he had apparently been missing out on other drama going on in the room. Cinder swiftly brought him back to reality with a ' _can I please speak with you in private'_ nudge under the table.

"Sorry," he mumbled, as soon as they exited the room. He was too distracted to even come up with a clever retort to the snickers that followed them. "What's up?"

"He's disgusting and I want him out of here," said Cinder firmly.

"Who?"

" _Ran_ , obviously."

"What's he doing?"

Cinder stared at him in disbelief. "Have you not been paying attention?"

"I was, uh, thinking about you," he lied.

"He's such a scumbag. He cuts Iko off every time she wants to talk, and to top it off, he makes derogatory remarks about women. Not to mention, I've watched him try to grope her several times _right at the table._ She's been making her miserable face all evening, but she's too embarrassed to do anything about it."

"Oh." He ruffled his hair. "That does sound bad."

She crossed her arms. " _Kesley_ noticed. He's practically squirming in his chair to kick him out. I can see Scarlet fuming too. You, Thorne, and Cress seem to be in la-la land though, and considering that Thorne is the host, I'd appreciate it if you'd ask him to get rid of him."

"Are you sure Iko wants him to leave?"

" _Oh_ ," said Cinder, "she'll want him gone if she knows what's best for her, which, judging by her choice of companion, apparently she does not. They've actually met before too, can you believe it? This is an intervention, Kai."

Kai was surprised that Thorne hadn't noticed this was going on. He was usually quite attuned to these sorts of things. Kai gave Cinder a quick nod before he squared his shoulders and marched back into the room. Thorne and Cress were laughing at something together while Kesley and Scarlet glowered at Ran. Thorne looked up expectantly at Kai and shot him a wink as he approached the table. Meanwhile, Ran sat with a smug expression as he possessively held his arm around Iko's shoulder. The second Kai saw the expression of unease on Iko's face, he knew Cinder was right.

"Thorne, Kesley, Ran, would you join me for a moment?"

Kesley nearly knocked over his chair as he jumped up. Thorne glanced at Cress but stayed put. "Everything okay?"

Kai plastered a fake smile on his face that he normally reserved for irritating clients. "Of course. Just some guy stuff."

"Guy stuff, eh?" asked Ran, releasing Iko. "Sign me up."

He leaned over and gave Iko a long kiss on her neck and lingered there. Kai saw Thorne's forehead crease as understanding flickered over his eyes when everyone—except Ran—saw Iko's reaction. Scarlet stepped on Kesley's toe and he scowled. Kai had no idea where Cinder was. Behind him?

Kai cleared his throat loudly. "Ran? Any time?"

Ran leered at Iko one more time and finally got up as well. Kai led them out to Thorne's living room. Only Kesley seemed to be hyper aware of why he was out there, and Kai thought he might give Ran a beating. He bounced on the balls of his feet as if releasing nervous energy through the ground would help him calm down. Thorne was eyeing Ran warily, but still looked slightly confused.

"Ran," said Kai, "we're going to have to ask you to leave."

"Excuse me?" said Ran, looking bewildered.

"You heard him," said Kesley. "We don't want you here."

The three of them turned to Thorne. "Right," he said, straightening.

Ran glared at him. "I'm not leaving. Iko invited me."

Thorne smiled coolly. "I've just un-invited you." He pointed at the hallway that lead to the door. "Have a great night."

Ran crossed his arms. "I said, I'm not leaving."

Kesley, Kai, and Thorne simultaneously rounded on him. Kesley, who dwarfed Ran, cracked his knuckles. "Iko deserves respect. _Women_ deserve respect. I'm happy to escort you to your car if you're not capable of leaving on your own."

Ran flinched away from him, like an omega bowing to an alpha. "I'll just go say goodbye to Iko then," he said sourly.

"That won't be necessary," said Kesley. Kai and Thorne exchanged a glance, but it was more Kai glaring at Thorne. He felt partially guilty for having not having picked up on what a douchebag Ran was, but he blamed Thorne because he was obviously too absorbed in his new _flavor of the month_ to notice either. Ran strode into the hallway and Kesley followed him for good measure. After a tense silence, Thorne turned to walk back into the kitchen. Kai grabbed his arm, halting him.

"Sorry man, I wasn't paying attention," said Thorne, pulling his arm away. "It won't happen again."

"Why is she here?" Kai hissed.

"Iko? I'm pretty sure that Cinder invited her. Hey, you don't have to look so pissed, man. Kesley's taking care of it."

"Not Iko. _Cress_. Why is Cress here?"

Thorne hesitated, then his confidence returned to his face. "Why shouldn't she be?"

"Thorne, it's not appropriate for her to be here. She's my employee."

Thorne laughed arrogantly. "Kai, there's nothing inappropriate about it. Unless, of course, you're planning on hooking up with her later—in which case you'd have a problem not just with company policy but also with me."

"So you're hooking up with her?" Kai couldn't keep the disbelief off his face.

Thorne shrugged. "What's it to you? No, wait,"—he held up his hands and made a face—"it's none of your business."

Kai scowled. "You're my best friend."

"What's your obsession with Cress, anyway? She's a good girl. Hott too." Thorne licked his lips and wiggled an eyebrow.

Kai's left eye was developing a twitch. "Thorne," he said exasperatedly, "I warned you about her."

"Well, thank you for your _unending concern_ , but as I've already told you, there's nothing to worry about."

"So she told you about her past?"

Thorne crossed his arms. "It's nothing I have to worry about because there's nothing going on between me and Cress."

"It certainly doesn't look that way."

"C'mon Kai, you've been around enough of my lady friends to know when nothing serious is going on."

"Nothing serious is not the same thing as nothing going on."

"Look, you've got a new girlfriend and that's all fine and dandy for you, but don't push your crap on me."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that some of us might have different values than you, and maybe we don't want to be tied down."

Kai huffed. "Stop deflecting my question by using 'we.' _Are you with her or not_?"

At that, Thorne just grinned his stupid, cocky grin that sometimes made Kai want to punch him. "Oh Kai, you're such a grandpa. Why don't you just worry about yours and I'll worry about mine?"

"Because she might be dangerous?"

"Dangerous, Cress? Just stop. We can't all have squeaky clean backgrounds like you."

"I'm serious Thorne," he insisted. "Stop messing around."

Thorne's grin finally faded and his tone turned grim, which succeeded in giving Kai chills. Thorne wasn't serious often. "If you have a problem with my choice of companion, you can leave too." Thorne pointed to where Ran had walked out only minutes ago.

Kai pushed his face right up to Thorne's. He was slightly shorter—a fact that Thorne never let him forget—but he could still glare at him from almost eye-level. "I'm trying to look out for you. And I'm telling you that this is one person you shouldn't mess around with. Particularly not with her feelings."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What if she doesn't share your 'lifestyle choice'? What if she thinks you're dating?"

"First of all, she doesn't think that. Second of all, if she does, it's not like she's going to kill me in my sleep or something."

"Are you sure about that?" Kai asked. "You know, since she's clearly told you so much about her past."

Thorne pushed Kai back. "You're out of line, Kai. I'm sure of it because I know you, and if you thought you had a murderer working for you, you wouldn't have hired her. You're just trying to mess with my head."

Why _had_ he hired her? Huy Deshal had been hesitant, but after reviewing her files and giving her a brief interview, Kai had decided that if the law had given her a green light to work, then her background shouldn't determine her future. It was undeniable that she was a hacking genius. Rikan Corp needed her. If she did anything illegal, he had some of the best lawyers in the nation under his belt to deal with it. But now, when he saw her with Thorne, doubt about his decision filled every corner of his mind. She was here now, in his personal life, infiltrating his group of friends. And Thorne—he couldn't see what might possibly happen if he dared to cross Crescent Darnel.

"This is for your own good."

"Who died and made you king? Get out of my face."

" _No_. Stay away from her."

"You're not the only one who's allowed to get some around here." Kai shook his head in disbelief, but Thorne's expression suddenly turned smug. "Ohh. Oh I see." He snickered. "Poor Kai. That's the problem isn't it? You're just jealous because your girl doesn't put out."

Kai punched him square in the face.

He thought he would get hit right back, so he raised his arms in defense, but Thorne just blinked in surprise, and ran his finger over his lip. A few drops of blood were forming at the bottom corner. He cursed. "Stars alive, I've never seen you punch anyone in your life, and now you choose me. So much for loyalty."

"Don't you _dare_ disrespect Cinder," Kai seethed.

"I didn't realize you were so sensitive."

"You were asking for it. Since when do you say stuff like that?"

"Yeah," said Thorne slowly, after checking his lip for more blood. "That was out of line. I didn't mean it. Sorry."

Kai was caught off guard by his apology. Before he had a chance to reply, though, Kesley came into the room. "Everything okay in here?"

"Yeah," said Kai. "We're fine."

"We'll just be a moment longer," said Thorne.

"Why are you so defensive about Cress?" Kai asked once Kesley had left the room again.

Thorne sighed. "I don't know man, I don't know."

"You like her, don't you?"

"Of course I like her."

"You know what I mean. More than usual."

"Don't make me punch you back," Thorne said warily.

"Answer the question."

Thorne threw his hands up in the air. "I'm just sick of you trying to tell me what to do. I helped you out with Cinder, didn't I? She called you _because of me_. Heck, you _met her_ because of me. Now just because I'm bringing a girl around you gotta get all weird on me and act like I'm doing something wrong by having fun. Just stay out of it."

"Why don't you ask her what she's done?"

"Why don't you just tell me?"

"You know I can't. I could get sued. I've already said too much."

"Then stop whining about it. I cleaned up my act, you know that. I'm not into bad stuff anymore. And I don't take advantage of women or degrade them like that guy Ran. So let me have my fun even if I don't want to have some big ball-and-chain relationship like you do. That's not what I'm looking for."

Kai shook his head. "Yeah, but does she know that?"

Thorne glanced behind him, then shrugged. "Of course."

"It really doesn't seem that way."

"I'm not starting this conversation again. If I want to hang out with her, I will."

And with that, he stalked off to the bathroom. Kai guessed he was probably going to double-check his lip to make sure he was presentable before joining the others. Kai waited a few minutes to collect himself before he headed back as well.

This was not good. Not good at all.


	15. Chapter 15

**THORNE**

It started out as any other challenge. How long would it take Cress to succumb to his charms now that she was no longer Rapunzel? He didn't want to be with a girl who only liked him because she was drunk. No, that wasn't any fun at all. It even made Thorne feel a little cheap. Still, his experience with Cress at the Masquerade and then in the elevator, of all places, had sparked something inside of him.

He wanted more of this girl. She messed with his mind. In a good way.

He realized that he was a bit too eager that night when she forced him to watch Tangled. While he'd expected it to be easy to find an opportune moment to go in for a kiss, none had come. His imagination had run wild thinking that she'd be quite ready to become tangled herself—with him of course—once the movie had ended. That had been a joke. Cress had jumped up from the couch, claimed to be exhausted, and ushered him out. He'd made sure to grab his coat on the way out.

Maybe it was because they'd already made out at the Masquerade. Maybe it was because he knew they were both attracted to each other and there was this underlying tension between them. Maybe it was because he thought he'd earned her trust in the elevator. Maybe it was just the desire for her that snuck up on him, despite her poor choice in films.

Looking back on the situation objectively, though, he didn't know why he'd expected anything else to happen. It wasn't like she'd given him any of the right signals throughout dinner. She hadn't fawned over him like the other girls did. And she certainly hadn't thrown herself at him whenever he smiled or teased her. Quite simply put, she was different than the other girls he'd pursued.

But this was not an ordinary wooing situation, after all. Despite the short time they'd known each other, they already had a bit of a complicated history, and a large misconception of the other. Well, at least Thorne had a misconception of who Cress was. _He_ certainly had never pretended to be anyone else. This, he decided, was probably what was keeping him on his toes. While Cress was right in front of him, a part of him still yearned for Rapunzel from the dance. He liked both of her personalities, with the exception that Cress wasn't exactly making it easy for him.

A little more than two weeks into it, he decided that hanging out with Cress wasn't exactly hard work. On the contrary, he was actually rather enjoying getting to know her. Considering that he was someone who got bored rather quickly with the women he dated, this was something in and of itself.

Cress was a fascinating person. Her views on many topics surprised him. She was incredibly smart, even outside of her profession, and he enjoyed listening to her muse about all sorts of subjects. For some reason—maybe related to whatever was keeping her in therapy—she sometimes had a harsh view of reality. And yet, this softness and innocence about her still reined everything in so that she mostly stayed hopeful. Cress had all these big plans and dreams about things she was going to do with her life once she saved up enough money to "get outta here." A part of him even wanted to talk Kai into giving her a raise.

Though at their first dinner he hadn't perceived her to be very flirty, he learned that she had her moments in that area as well, which Thorne loved. As he'd gathered in the elevator, she was actually quite introverted, but with a little coaxing he could sometimes get this feisty attitude out of her. He liked to call that the Rapunzel side. It made it easier for him to keep his thoughts straight.

He loved to tease her because it was far too easy to make her blush. The more they hung out, the more at ease she became, and the more she opened up to him. He started getting better at understanding her moods, and no longer felt blindsided by her like he had in the elevator. And she was just so cute and sexy that it was hard not to want to be around her. He constantly found himself intrigued by the unique woman in front of him: part shy, part naïve, part wise, part strange, part vixen.

Mostly a sweetheart.

She was also obsessed with love stories. To be fair, all of their interactions should have made that obvious, but he hadn't realized exactly to what extent. Those little pins in her backpack hadn't even told half the story. It took him only a week to realize that if Cress was ever going to let him kiss her again, he was going to have to pull out all the stops. He started trying to think of dumb over-the-top romantic gestures that might make her happy. He was normally good at romancing women, but Cress was sometimes a bit too hearts-and-flowers for his usual moves. He even considered asking Kai what he would do, but Kai would never let him live that down, and besides, Kai had no idea that he was hanging out with Cress. Thorne had made sure of that.

But one night, to his great surprise, Cress lingered in the doorway just a bit longer than normal as he was leaving. She looked down at her feet, then up at his eyes, and then at his lips. Thorne, caught off guard but naturally still quite attuned to this particular cue, whipped out the smile he'd been saving for precisely this moment. The one that was knowing and sexy and slightly cocky. The one that made all the ladies swoon.

Cress blushed, and bit her lip. Thorne drew out the moment a little longer, basking in the tension that was boiling between them. When she looked up at him again, he decided to give her a sweet kiss—one still full of passion and a touch of hunger, but a sweet one nonetheless. It would be better to leave her wanting for more this time, rather than the other way around. He leaned down and watched as she closed her eyes, and then it was as though their lips recognized each other from their time together at the Masquerade. As though they'd been waiting to reconnect. And though he'd meant for it to be a sweet kiss, Cress lingered longer than he'd expected and it became very clear that his resolve was crumbling. Fast.

He forced himself to break away from her and bid her goodnight. Thorne walked breathlessly back to his car. He groaned in weakness and frustration as he started the Rampion.

 _Cress_ was a goddess. He didn't need Rapunzel.

* * *

That Saturday, though they hadn't planned on hanging out for once—Thorne _did_ have to pretend that he was doing other things besides seeing her, after all—Cress called him crying. Apparently she'd had a terrible session with her therapist, and the jerk had made her feel completely worthless. She apologized profusely for calling him in this state, but said that she couldn't think of anyone else to talk to. While the idea of girls crying usually made him feel uncomfortable, something about Cress being sad made him feel a little sad too. And that was no good.

So he surprised her by bringing over some take-out. The look on her face when he showed up was enough for him to know that he'd done the right thing—even if it had blown his "I'm busy" cover just a bit. He supposed he could always make up an excuse later so that she didn't get too attached. She'd stopped crying by the time he showed up, which was great, and she'd also decided that she didn't really want to talk about it anymore, which was even better. While he loved talking to Cress, he made sure they avoided heavy topics laced with too many feelings. They were too messy. Too personal.

Cress wasn't exactly herself though, and it was easy to see that whatever had happened today had clearly made her feel terrible. He wanted to cheer her up, but he certainly didn't want to watch another Disney movie with her. He'd set a rule about how many of those he could handle, anyway. It was important not to set a precedent by breaking that rule now. She warmed up a bit when he asked her about some projects she was working on at Rikan Corp. The girl liked to hack, or prevent hackers, or whatever it was she did. It cheered her up some. But not enough.

He thought back to their conversation in the elevator. Sometimes she just needed to get out of her head, she'd said, to forget about everything. He certainly wasn't going to get her drunk, because he'd seen first-hand how that turned out, and yet, he wanted to do something. What was something she loved to do, that he liked as well? Something they could do together?

He snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. He grabbed her hand and led her over to her living room. She waited expectantly, as if he were about to reveal something big. Instead, he stretched his arms over his head and jumped a bit on the balls of his feet, warming up.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking at him warily and just a bit like he'd lost his mind.

"What's your jam, Cress?" he asked.

She stared at him.

He walked over to her stereo system attached to the iPod dock. "C'mon, what's your jam?"

She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not dancing for you, or something like that, if that's what you think is gonna happen here."

Thorne threw his head back, unable to contain his laughter. "You're amazing, you know that? What's going to happen here, gorgeous, is that _we_ are going to dance. Together."

"Here?"

"Why not?"

" _Thorne_ ," she whined.

He picked up her iPod and began to shuffle through. "I know you need to get out of your head. So, what'll it be?"

She sighed, but her voice was less agitated when she spoke again. "You'll probably laugh at me."

Thorne put his own hand on his hip, imitating her. "Give me some credit, Cress. Did we or did we not, in fact, meet on the dance floor?"

She hesitated. "You can't really dance to it that well."

"I can dance to anything. I want to know what your jam is, so stop stalling."

"Fine. I currently can't stop listening to Style."

Thorne grinned and began to scroll through her iPod. "Fan of Miss Swift, are we?"

"I wasn't always," she said quickly. "But that song is just so…catchy. And I like the lyrics. Have you heard it?"

"Have I heard it? Now what kind of question is that?"

It wasn't the song he would've chosen at all, to say the least, but this was about her, not him. Besides, it wasn't the worst song she could have picked, to be honest. He was already picturing her singing along to the music while she danced, and the thought made him just about ready for anything. He turned the song on and the volume _way_ up. Her eyes widened and she suddenly looked shy. But the intro faded and the beat picked up, and Thorne let his right shoulder pop up a few times. He knew he looked silly, but that was the point.

"C'mon, Cress," he said, moving his shoulder more."I just can't control it."

She was obviously trying not to smile. It would just take a little bit more to get her to relax. He shimmied over to her, now wiggling both of his shoulders dramatically. She burst out laughing.

"Midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights," he sang as he danced in front of her. She continued to laugh, but then he held out his hand and yelled over the music. "The chorus, Cress! The chorus!"

She took his hand and he spun her as the music picked up and before long Cress was dancing too. Their moves were not quite so sophisticated this time around, but this was just for fun, and with no other audience, it didn't really matter. She eventually started singing by the time the second chorus came on, which was good because he rather loved seeing her dance and sing, and he didn't know all of the words anyway. She started adding in some of the cute moves she'd done the night of the Masquerade and he reciprocated with encouragement.

As the bridge came on, Thorne decided it was time for his grand finale. He sank to his knees, fisted his hands in front of her, and put on his most dramatic _agony and desire_ face. "Take me home…just take me home…yeah, just take me home!"

Cress, barely able to control her laughter, pulled him up and slid her tiny arms around him. They swayed together for the last bits of the song, one of his hands against her back, the other glued to her hip. She was not able to stop smiling. He loved every second of it. Another song came on, so they kept at it, and Thorne relished in the closeness between them. He had a pretty good feeling that Cress felt the same way, because she didn't let go of him.

When that song ended, he decided he'd had enough of this particular genre, so he went over to the iPod dock again to find something that was a bit more his style. Now that she had relaxed a bit, he didn't think she'd mind. "Any requests?" he asked anyway, scrolling through her very large assortment of mp3 albums.

When Cress didn't reply, he glanced up from the screen. He temporarily forgot to breathe when he saw her leaning against the back of the couch. She looked at him with innocent eyes, but body language that screamed anything but. She wrapped a finger around a lock of hair and twisted it. Slow and methodical and deliberately teasing.

Holy aces. This woman made him weak in the knees.

Nearly dropping the iPod, his lips were instantly on hers. Unlike the last time they kissed, he didn't feel like exercising any restraint this time. When she strained on her toes to better meet his lips, he decided to make it easy for them and pulled her down to the floor with almost too much enthusiasm. She landed on top of him, safe in his arms. As they began to make out on the floor, he thought about all the people who could probably see them through her gigantic windowed walls. It was kind of risqué, and he wasn't completely sure that even _he_ was ready for that. Before long, Thorne swept her off the floor and carried her to a much more comfortable spot: her bed.

"You know," he said between kisses, "this is so much easier without all that extra hair."

She pulled back, despite his efforts to continue his assault on her lips. A mischievous glint lit up her eyes. "I've still got that hair, you know."

Thorne groaned. "Please no."

She giggled and pulled him closer to her again. He reached over her and turned the light on her nightstand off. She reached up and turned it back on.

"I want to see you."

Both of his eyebrows shot up. It took him a moment to collect himself. "Hey, that's my line."

The smile that appeared on her face almost made him delirious. Unable to think of anything else to say, he leaned down and began to kiss her along her collarbone, just as he had at the Masquerade.

This time, she didn't fall asleep.

* * *

The next morning when he woke up, Thorne decided to stick around. He rolled his head on the pillow so he could admire the sleeping beauty lying next to him. Then he turned away quickly, realizing that these little morning moments could be all it would take for him to turn into a sap like Kai. He unhooked her foot from his, stretched, and headed to her kitchen. On his way out of her bedroom, he realized curiously that she didn't actually have a door to her bedroom. How had he not noticed that last night?

Cress hadn't let him cook for her yet, so he decided to show off his skills by making waffles. He had a reputation to uphold, after all. He was almost done making the batter when he realized that there were no eggs. That was an unfortunate kink in the plan. He grabbed his coat, slid into his shoes, and drove the Rampion to the supermarket nearby.

He prided himself on making it back in less than twenty minutes, but when he went to let himself back into her townhouse, the door was locked. He fiddled with it, not wanting to wake Cress up, but then finally decided to ring the doorbell.

Cress answered, but instead of looking surprised that he was there, she looked incredibly pissed. "Forget something?"

Thorne scratched at his chin. "Uh—hey. Sorry if I woke you up. Just went to get some eggs." He held out the carton for her to see.

Her annoyance faded into confusion. "Eggs?"

"For waffles?"

She opened the door for him and walked into the apartment. He kicked off his shoes hastily and caught up with her. "Hey, are you mad at me?"

She sighed. "I woke up and you weren't here. I guess I thought you were just one of those guys who leaves without even saying goodbye."

His Adam's apple bobbed, swallowing the fact that he had actually considered leaving this morning. He had stayed in the end, though, so what did that fact matter? He didn't want to hurt Cress. They were just getting started, after all.

"Nah," said Thorne, "just wanted to make you something special for breakfast." He held out the eggs again.

Cress' embarrassment showed in her cheeks. "Sorry I thought the worst of you."

"No problem," he said. "You don't really know me that well yet, so…"

"I've enjoyed getting to know you so far," she said quickly. "I hope…well I hope we're going to see a lot more of each other."

"Hey," he said, then kissed the top of her head. It was easier than kissing her mouth, due to the height difference and the eggs and keys in his hands. Besides, she'd appreciate the gesture. "Me too."

* * *

Thorne studied Cress as he absentmindedly dried the dishes she handed him. Even with the dishwasher already full and running, it was taking an awfully long time to clean up after everyone had left the party. Cress hummed as she scrubbed away, though, and Thorne wished that he could shake off the feeling of unease that had been plaguing him since his argument with Kai. He was _not_ one to worry. This girl in front of him, this intriguing girl that he'd spent so much time with in the last month—he didn't need to worry about her. Kai had only seen her background information; he didn't know anything about her.

Why was he so afraid to ask Cress about her past then? No, he told himself, he wasn't afraid. That just wasn't his style, getting mixed up in all the serious stuff from before. Talking about those kinds of things would open up way too many floodgates of other intimate discussion topics. She'd already shared about her past enough on the elevator, hadn't she? What was important was who they were now, today. Yesterday was gone and tomorrow would take care of itself. Today mattered. That's all. And today, they were good. They were great, in fact. Today he wanted to be around Cress, and she around him. Why worry about the other stuff? Kai was just trying to mess with him, like he always did. Kai was just jealous that Thorne had a knack for meeting cool, cute women.

"Thorne?"

"Hmm?"

"You seem really distracted tonight."

Thorne focused on Cress again. "I'm fine."

Cress went back to her dishes but after a moment turned off the faucet and took off the dish gloves. "You know, we've been at this for a while. I think we should finish this in the morning."

Thorne shrugged. "Okay."

He followed her upstairs. They usually stayed at her place these days, but she'd been over enough to know her way around.

"Do you think your friends liked me?"

He had totally forgotten about the others. Knowing her, of course she'd want to make a good impression. She didn't know that they'd met so many other of his girls already that they probably couldn't even tell them apart anymore. "Sure they did."

"Even Kai?"

Thorne paused, his shirt already halfway over his face. He pulled it off slowly. "Why? Do you think Kai doesn't like you?"

"I don't know," said Cress. She climbed into his bed and patted the spot next to him so he would come sit by her. He obliged. "You guys seemed mad at each other for the second half of the dinner."

"Oh, that doesn't have anything to do with you," he lied. "We were just…riled up about Ran."

"Is that why your lip is a little…swollen?"

Thorne scowled. The stinging of his lip had faded pretty quickly, but the mention of it reminded him of the taste of blood he'd spent nearly ten minutes rinsing out of his mouth. "Something like that."

She reached for him, maybe to touch his lip, maybe just to be close to him, but Thorne shifted away uncomfortably. "Not tonight, Cress. I'm totally worn out and just want to sleep."

Cress scrunched up her face, trying to hide the obvious hurt in her eyes. "You want me to go?"

He closed his eyes and exhaled, trying to call back the personification of a gentleman. "No, of course not."

Cress ran her thumb over his chest. It was a move he loved and she knew it, and now she was using it against him to get him to open up to her. "I wish you would tell me what's wrong. You've been so serious tonight."

"Please, you know I don't do serious."

"I know, that's why I'm worried."

Thorne forced out a smile, and placed his hand against the small of her back, drawing her closer. "Let's not talk right now. Maybe I'm not so tired after all."

His lips found the curve where her jaw met her throat. Despite his swollen lip, he found that he could still enjoy himself. Yes, this was much better. Better than worrying, better than confessing secrets or talking about the past. Certainly better than thinking about how his best friend had just punched him in the face after he'd purposely provoked him to do precisely that.

He could just lose himself in this beautiful girl in front of him, and forget any notion of guilt that clipped at his insides.


	16. Chapter 16

Thorne tinkered with his portfolio online. He hadn't been paying as much attention to it lately, and it was showing in the way some of his investments had taken a hit. It wasn't normal for him not be to up-to-date with all the happenings on Wall Street, so he wasted almost a day catching up.

When he was satisfied that things would soon be looking in his favor again, he headed to the gym. Thorne let off some steam running around the track, and then he decided to hit the weights. After working up a decent sweat, he headed for the locker room and subsequently the hot tub.

He had just relaxed and closed his eyes when a female voice interrupted his peace. "Looks nice in there."

Thorne nodded but kept his eyes closed.

"Mind if I join?" said the female voice.

Thorne finally opened his eyes to find a pair of red manicured toes standing near his head. He glanced upward and saw that the feet were connected to legs that went on for days. They ended only where a skimpy bikini began. A very attractive face smiled down at him, her lips as red as her toes. Thorne gave her another once over, then leaned his head back into the wall of the hot tub. "Sure."

There was some splashing as she got in, followed by silence. After a few minutes, she sighed loudly. He ignored her. She sighed again. He opened one eye. "Something bothering you?"

She pouted, her lips becoming full. "Just kinda lonely in here."

"Ah."

She scooted closer, still pouting. "Maybe we could keep each other company."

Thorne studied her. A few weeks ago, he would have taken the bait on that line in an instant. She was the perfect person with whom to have a few laughs and share a few stolen moments. She certainly had a lot of physical appeal. But the way she was blatantly hitting on him wasn't really doing it for him. Pouty Lips waited for him to answer her, eyes feigning innocence. He had plenty of eyes feigning innocence with Cress, anyway. Sure, Pouty Lips was sexy. Cress was sexy too, though. And not in the wonder-if-it's-fake type of sexy like the girl right in front of him. Besides, he wasn't a cheater.

The thought disturbed him. Would he be cheating if he made a move on this girl? It's not like Cress was his girlfriend. But he supposed they were sort of seeing each other. He was having a great time with her; he didn't want to hurt her.

Thorne made his face look neutral. "No thanks."

Pouty Lips frowned. It was an ugly look on her. "Okay, whatever."

He closed his eyes again, hoping she would leave the tub as quickly as she had arrived.

* * *

"Cress, stop fussing, it's just a cold," he wheezed.

"You've barely been able to get out of bed for two days. You probably have the flu."

"I'll be _fine_."

"I brought you some chicken soup. It's downstairs in the fridge in case you get hungry later."

The idea of eating anything at all nearly made his stomach turn. "I'm twenty-six, you know. That makes me an adult. I don't need chicken soup anymore."

She shushed him. "Who doesn't need chicken soup?"

He moaned into his pillow. "On second thought, do you see the bucket on the floor? Grab it. Now."

Cress put the bucket in front of him instantly. He tried desperately to keep everything down. Cress did _not_ need to see him in this state. "Just…don't talk about food right now, okay? And you should go home. I'm fine."

"You're clearly not," she said. "You're all pale and clammy. I'm going to go downstairs and work a little, okay? Just call me if you need anything."

He nodded weakly and gripped the bucket tighter.

* * *

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and frowned when he saw the caller. He silenced it and put it back in his pocket. Thirty seconds later, it began to vibrate again.

Cress looked at him over her plate of food. "Aren't you going to answer it? Maybe it's important."

"Nah, we're eating. It's rude."

"I don't mind."

"It's fine."

His phone kept vibrating. He finally pulled it out and turned it off, then slammed it almost ceremoniously on the table. "They won't be calling it again."

Cress frowned. "Is it Kai again?"

"Who cares?" he said.

"Sorry you're in a fight," she said. She took a sip of her drink and watched him.

"It's not a fight." He missed Kai a little, considering that he hadn't talked to him in over three weeks, but it wasn't worth discussing. Not as long as he was with Cress. "I don't really want to talk about it right now."

"Scarlet asked me what was going on between the two of you when we were at that salsa club with them last week," she said slowly, hesitantly.

"What did you tell her?" he asked a little too defensively.

"Nothing. It's not really any of my business."

"Oh," he said. "Thanks, Cress."

"How do you think it's going with Cinder and Kai? They only started dating recently, right?"

Thorne shrugged. "They're probably picking out furniture for their new home."

Cress squealed. "You think they'll get married?"

"Who knows. Kai would probably have her move in first. There's no point in not taking advantage of his penthouse."

"I thought you didn't like it."

"It's a bit over the top for me. I'm happy where I am now. Plus, I hate what that place represents for Kai. But most girls are really into that sort of thing. Are you?" he asked, eyeing her warily.

Cress thought about it while she ate. "I just want to be happy with the person I love. If I get that some day, I don't care where we live. Well, as long as it's not a confined space."

"You think you'll ever get over your claustrophia?"

"Do you think Rapunzel ever did?" she asked casually.

He frowned. "What?"

"Well, she was trapped in a tower for her whole life and then she got saved by the prince or the thief—depending on which story you're looking at—and they lived in a big castle. The storytellers kind of skipped over all the emotional scarring of being locked up for that long."

"I've honestly never really thought about it."

"Maybe they didn't need to address it because she found her true love, became a princess, and re-united with her parents. Plus, castles are big, so she'd never feel confined," she said, shrugging.

Thorne furrowed his brow. "I guess so. Are you saying you want a castle?"

She laughed and stabbed at her meat. "No, don't worry about it."

He dramatically wiped the back of his hand across his brow. "Phew."

Cress giggled. "You're a funny guy, you know."

"I know."

"Humble too."

"Always."

"Full of it as well."

He raised an eyebrow. "You better watch it, Cress."

She snorted but continued to eat. "Ooh, I'm scared. Big, bad Thorne. LOL."

"Did you just say _LOL_?"

"Yes."

"Nerd."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "What can I say, I spend most of my life on the internet. Besides, people like me are going to rule the future while you're still fumbling around with your smartphone in twenty years."

"I'll make sure to call you then," he said, but he couldn't help smiling.

"I may be busy," she said.

"Oh you'll be busy, will you?"

"Probably."

"Will you be busy, in say, one hour?"

She grinned a little devilishly. "I might be able to pencil you in."

Thorne grinned too.

* * *

They settled into a bit of a routine. At first they often stayed up too late, even on work days, until both of them could barely get out of bed the next day. Finally, when Cress showed up late to work two days in a row, they decided that perhaps they were hanging out together just a little too much, and maybe they should only sleep over on weekends. Thorne couldn't deny that it was nice to be back in his bed, since he usually stayed at Cress' house, but sometimes he had to admit that he missed having her next to him when he fell asleep.

One Friday night, Thorne surprised her by taking her to a fancy restaurant. His stocks had finally picked up again, and he accredited it to the fact that he was finally paying more attention to himself than he had when he initially started hanging out with Cress. They both ate way too much food. Thorne wasn't even sure how Cress could fit that much food into her little body. But she sighed contentedly as they left, and even convinced him to buy some chocolate-covered strawberries for them to take back to her place. He bought some champagne as well. He figured it was time to celebrate a fantastic date.

Yes, an actual date. Even _he_ couldn't deny anymore that they were, in fact, dating. It was a hard concept to wrap his mind around. He still considered it pretty casual, but with all the time they spent together and the fact that he was still turning down other women, well, it was only logical to consider it so. He didn't verbalize his thoughts though, nor introduce her any differently. He didn't want to make it serious or formal. Those types of things were never any fun. Either way, he was ready to celebrate. He was just in a great mood.

Back at her apartment, they began on the champagne, which was gone almost instantly. After eating a few of the strawberries, Cress decided to shove one in his face. He blinked for a minute, wiped his mouth, and then lunged at her. She shrieked as he tickled her right at the spot he had learned was her weakness. Cress tried to fight him off but he growled at her playfully and pinned her down.

"Do you give?" he asked.

"Never!" she said, laughing.

"I thought you might say that."

He began tickling her again.

"I give! I give!"

"Well, in that case…"

He leaned down and began to kiss her. She made little happy noises that he had come to recognize and adore. They were reserved for him and him alone, and it made him feel like a king. Soon, her hands were running through his hair. He liked it when she did that. It was gentle but still full of passion. Not at all like the other girls he'd been with who just moaned all over him.

He threw her over his shoulder and carried her back to her bedroom. This was also becoming a bit of a ritual for them. She'd admitted that the way his arms flexed when he picked her up made her swoon a bit, and his ego had made him cave into doing it more often. He kind of figured that it was probably one of the things that her heroes did in all those stories she was obsessed with, so he was happy to compromise on this one small detail.

When they got into bed, though, Cress stopped him from kissing her any more. "Listen, I know you don't really like serious stuff, but there's something I want to talk to you about. Or, rather, something I want to share with you. It's related to our talk in the elevator. And it's important to me that you know." She bit her lip and watched him consider her.

Maybe it was because he felt especially connected to her that night, or maybe it was the champagne bringing down his inhibitions a little. Thorne decided to compromise on this too. He settled back into the headrest and held his arm out to her. "Sure," he said, "what's up?"

She took a deep breath. "Have you ever noticed sometimes that I'm not always consistent about everything?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, maybe sometimes I seem shy and sometimes I seem a bit aggressive?"

Thorne kissed the top of her head. "Of course. It's one of the things I like about you."

"Really?"

"Definitely."

"Oh, okay."

She fell silent, so Thorne sat up straight to look at her face. "Hey, what's wrong? That's a good thing."

"Sometimes I just don't know who I am," she said. "I struggle with myself a lot."

"Like…who you want to be?"

"Not exactly. Remember when we met and I said I like to act out on my fantasies and you were all creepy about it?"

Thorne laughed. "I think you said I was disgusting, actually."

She brightened. "You remember."

"It's not often I get called disgusting. It was hard to forget."

"Well do you remember how I said that I had a bit of a rough childhood?"

"Yes…"

"That was sort of the understatement of the year."

Kai's words ribbed at him, and he reconsidered the possibility of Cress being dangerous. Was this going to be her big confession? He'd decided several weeks ago to put his worries to rest. "We all have bullshit from our past, Cress. I don't care about any of that."

"I really want to tell you, though."

He sighed. "Alright, I'm listening."

Cress took another deep breath and surprised him with a quick hug. Then she settled back into the headrest herself and pulled the blankets up around her. "My mother was really abusive," she began. "Well, she was really my adoptive mother. Her name was Sybil. My real parents died when I was about six years old. I got put into the foster system. Sybil adopted me shortly after."

A combination of nervousness, anger, and sadness crept up on Thorne unexpectedly. He cleared his throat. "When you said in the elevator that you _related_ to Rapunzel, what exactly did you mean, Cress?"

Cress hugged the blankets. He put his arm around her protectively, as if he could shield her from the pain of her past. He felt so stupid. "You don't have to answer that," he said.

"She locked me in my room almost constantly. She rarely let me out. It didn't matter what I did, Sybil always said that I was a bad child and deserved to be punished—deserved to be alone. At first, I was confused and kind of in shock. I'd just lost my parents and I was too little to really know what was going on. I always felt guilty and tried to please her to no avail. But as I got older, I started seeing her for what she was."

Thorne was starting to feel sick. "How could no one notice that you were being mistreated?"

"My mother—Sybil—played it off as home-schooling. That's how she got away with not sending me to school. When I was about ten years old, she finally let me go outside and play. I was so excited, you know? I met some of the neighbors. That's how I learned that my life was radically different from theirs. But when I tried to tell the other kids about it, they didn't believe me. They just thought I was weird. I didn't know how to interact with other people my age, you see.

"Sybil sometimes let me watch movies. Mostly Disney, as you can probably guess. I also got a book to read from time to time. After that I started pretending that I was a character in the stories I read or watched. When she would lock me away for a long period of time, I'd force myself to escape reality through make believe—hence the over-active imagination that I told you about. Like I said, I'm working on it in therapy."

It made sense now. Her being closed off. Acting like Rapunzel. Obsessing over fairy-tales. Getting claustrophobic. It even made sense as to why there was no door to her room. Thorne felt his worldview crumbling.

"I managed to call the police a few times. They came quickly, and so did Social Services. I thought I would get out but Sybil told them that I was so mentally unstable that she had to keep me away from other children and that my word wasn't to be trusted. I started talking to a social worker, who 'investigated' my case, but she forced me to go to a psychologist—Dr. Park. I don't have him anymore," she added. "I told him everything—how she locked me away, how she sometimes even locked me in closets for hours, how she yelled at me all the time, everything. But he just told everyone I was crazy too. I had to continue seeing him as part of my treatment. I've tried to figure out exactly what Sybil did to make him say that. I think she was sleeping with him. He came to our house sometimes."

Thorne swallowed. "So the only people you had contact with were your mom and an evil psychologist?"

"Pretty much. After the incidence with the police, the other moms in the neighborhood stopped wanting me to play with their kids."

"Aces, Cress." He dragged his hand down his face. "I'm so sorry."

"I have a criminal record," she said quietly. "I'm a bad person, Thorne."

Cress looked so fragile. But he knew she was also incredibly strong to have survived all that. He wished that he could make it all go away, but he knew he couldn't. "You're not a bad person at all, Cress."

"I am," she said. "I got revenge."

"Good. I hope you killed them both."

Her eyes widened. "Thorne!"

"What? They hurt you. I'm pissed."

"Thanks, but no, they are very much alive."

"Are they at least in jail?" he asked.

"No."

"No!"

"When I turned sixteen, I got fed up with waiting for someone to save me. So I started plotting my revenge. By that time, I'd gotten a computer and a TV in my room. I think Sybil suspected that if anyone came by, it wouldn't make sense if my room was completely bare. That's when I started learning how to hack. I had all the time in the world, and I discovered that I was really, really good at it."

"But why didn't you just use your hacking skills to contact people about your situation?"

"Oh, I did. I started a blog, even, documenting everything she did to me. But Sybil found out, of course, and people stop trying to help you when they find out you're crazy. Dr. Park threatened to put me in an insane asylum if I ever put a toe out of line again. It was bad in my room, but at least I wasn't wearing a straight-jacket. And like I said, I'd already tried calling the police several times by then. Every time I told someone about my situation, I just got punished even more. Usually Sybil would lock me in the closet for an even longer period of time than was normal. I'd go crazy in there." She shivered. "I just couldn't understand why no one would help me. Like, why wasn't I good enough to be saved?" A tear rolled down her cheek. Thorne brushed it away immediately.

"Listen to me. You were good enough. You were just surrounded by terrible people."

"I gave up initially," she continued. "I went into despair, thinking I'd never get away from her. I just wanted a normal life and I wasn't allowed to have it. But after I turned sixteen, well, I snapped out of it. And I finally got my revenge about a year and a half later."

"What did that entail?"

"I'd rather not go into it all. But it involved some fires, stealing a lot of money from bank accounts, and digging up dirty secrets about everyone who wouldn't help me."

Thorne stared. "Fires?"

Cress just shrugged.

"I stole a lot too," he admitted. "My parents usually bailed me out of trouble with their influence or money, but it shouldn't have been like that. I had help while you didn't, except you were the one who needed the help, not me. I just caused problems. I wish I could have helped you."

"I figured it out eventually," she said.

"By the way, how are you not in jail?"

"When I got caught, a judge actually took me seriously. He had me evaluated by several outside psychologists, who seemed disturbed by Sybil's behavior. In the end, they couldn't really prove what she'd done, but they couldn't prove that I was lying, either. I think he took pity on me. Plus, I was a juvenile. It didn't help me get away with everything, but instead of jail I got stuck with a billion hours of community service. And more therapy. I've paid my debt to society, so to speak, but I still go. It helps me process everything, even though I haven't seen Sybil in six years.

"I still think about all the stuff I did. I think about how I spent almost two years figuring out how to destroy Sybil's livelihood. I think it made me lose a part of my humanity. Just like my fantasies. They started out as this good thing to help me survive. But even now when I'm really upset sometimes, pretending to be someone like Rapunzel helps me cope. I know that's not normal or okay, but it helps me hide who I really am, and how much she just didn't love me."

"It's not your fault."

"I know," she said, leaning against him finally. "I just wanted to tell you I felt."

"I'm glad you did. Though I'm still really sorry that all this happened to you. I wish I had something better to say in return."

"I'm just glad you're here."

"Of course."

"Will you tell me something else about your past?" she asked, catching him off guard.

"Hmm, like what?"

"Like your gambling problem."

"Ohhh, you want to know about my _dirty_ past."

"Of course."

"You gonna use it against me?" he teased.

"I _am_ pretty good at blackmail," she said, but she was smiling again, and that was all that mattered to him.

"Well, Miss Darnel, it all starts with a pretty cocky eleven-year-old boy who wanted to make a fortune…"

She snuggled against him as he began his dramatic tale of all the trouble that he often got himself into as a child—and how often Kai had helped him out.

When Cress was sleeping soundly, he pulled out his phone and finally responded to the thirty-some texts Kai had left him in the last few weeks:

_Why don't you double-check your facts before you open your mouth next time. Cress is amazing and you're an ass._


	17. Chapter 17

They had one particularly wild night not too long after Cress' confession. Thorne finally decided he'd had enough of his small get-togethers with his closest group of friends, especially since he wasn't currently speaking to one of those friends. After he'd heard Cress' story about her past, he'd also decided to help her accomplish some of the things on her long list of experiences she'd missed out on. The list—which by the way it was crumpled and yellowing looked as though it'd been created many years ago—had all ranges of experiences, goals and desires. Many of the things listed were quite sappy and over-the-top, but there were a few items that he could easily help her out with, among them:

\- _Attend a crazy college party_.

He had asked her why it was practically scribbled out, and she said that since she never got the chance to go to college, she'd never be able to have that experience, so there was no point in keeping it on the list. Thorne, after contemplating, had explained to her that attending a _real_ college party might land them in jail at his age, but wondered if she might be interested in just a regular crazy party. He had even offered to make it a college-themed party.

Cress grew excited, though she admitted that she'd never been to a large-scale party before, and whenever she managed to venture to the clubs, she usually had to go in costume to deal with the overwhelming amount of people there. One of the reasons it had been on her bucket list originally was because she had seen a lot of movies that centered around the events of a big college party, but she hadn't had enough friends or confidence to actually have that type of experience. Now she had lost her chance. Thorne assured her that she could stick with him throughout the party, and if it got a little too intense for her, she just let him know.

Thus the party planning began. Thorne called everyone he knew, save Kai and Cinder, and even took the liberty of inviting some of his old college buddies. He let Cress decorate his apartment—though he did offer a decent amount of input—and he took care of hiring a DJ and picking food and drinks. Kesley, who had always been wilder than Kai anyway, came over to reminisce with Thorne about some of the best parties they'd been to at the fraternities on their campus. Cress was just a bit too excited about some of their stories. Kesley kept chuckling at her reactions while Scarlet sighed in feigned annoyance. Thorne knew she'd put up with a lot back then, but at least she was being a good sport about it now.

Most of the people he invited showed up, not surprisingly, since he was known for showing people a good time. His bottom floor was jam-packed with people dancing, laughing, and playing all sorts of random games. It'd been far too long since he'd thrown a party like this, and he was partially glad that Kai wasn't coming, because he'd probably just tell Thorne to grow up. _Well guess what, Kai, everyone else is having fun and remembering the good old days while you're probably just at home watching TV with Cinder like a boring old married couple_ , he said in his mind.

The party went off without a hitch, except for the fact that he'd forgotten the trick about roping off the top rooms where he didn't want couples who needed more privacy to go. After someone had accidentally spilled a drink on him, he'd gone upstairs to change, and had accidentally walked in on two friends who were just starting to get to know each other. He'd apologized profusely, then started laughing at the thought of Cress walking in on them. He almost wanted to call her up just so she could have _that_ awkward experience as well, but the couple quickly left the room and he was left alone for a few minutes without all the chaos and blaring music that was practically shattering the walls downstairs.

It was the only part of the night that he left Cress. He wanted to make sure that she had a good time, and he hadn't forgotten about her need to not feel overwhelmed. But she continually expressed how much fun she was having, and kept showcasing her cute smile and that half-shy, half-vixen expression that he'd come to adore. She was fitting in well with the crowd, but he didn't really want her to go off and dance with some of the other guys that were chatting her up. He finally let her dance with Kesley a few times, though the height difference was even worse between the two of them, so it was rather amusing to observe. He took Scarlet in his arms during those interludes. The two of them had known each other long enough that they started to get into some rather dramatic dance moves that made both of them laugh.

Kesley appeared in front of them after the second dance. "You guys look ridiculous," he muttered.

Scarlet draped her leg around Thorne's waist. He grabbed her thigh with one hand and pulled her closer with the other, and she gave him her best wily temptress look. They burst out laughing at Kesley's disgusted face.

"Don't worry, buddy," said Thorne, "it's only for one night."

Kesley growled and pulled Scarlet off of him, but they both continued laughing. Scarlet kissed Kesley sweetly on the cheek and he put his arms around her protectively.

"Hey, what'd you do with _my_ woman by the way?" asked Thorne teasingly, looking behind Kesley for Cress.

"She's in the bathroom."

"Your woman, huh?" said Scarlet, a big smile spreading over her face.

Thorne shrugged casually. "Ah well, you know what I mean."

Kesley finally laughed, but it was borderline evil. "Oh we all know what it means. It's obvious you're completely whipped."

"Kesley!" said Scarlet quickly.

Thorne made a face at Kesley. "Ha-ha, very funny."

"Thorne and Cress, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-" Scarlet smacked Kesley hard in the stomach, and he shut up.

"What are you, five?" said Thorne irritably.

Kesley just smirked at him.

Luckily, Cress came out of the bathroom before he could retort any further.

* * *

Thorne was feeling particularly restless. He had finally started feeling guilty about not returning Kai's calls and texts. He was starting to miss his best friend and he was getting tired of his stupid pride. Kai would really like Cress if he just gave her a chance. They would actually get along well. Maybe they'd even have lunch together sometimes at work, if they weren't too busy. The thought made him pause. Was it possible that Kai already did talk to Cress at work, and he just didn't know about it? No, Cress would definitely tell him, wouldn't she? Yeah, she would tell him, he decided. After turning on his right side and settling into a more comfortable position, he shut his eyes and didn't think about it anymore.

He was finally beginning to doze off when he heard Cress whisper next to him, "are you still awake?"

Thorne decided to stay still, because he was exhausted and didn't want his brain to stop the process of falling asleep. Whatever it was, they could talk about it tomorrow. Cress's small fingers gently brushed his cheek, and he almost sighed contentedly.

"I always dreamed that someone would rescue me," she said quietly. "And now you're finally here."

Thorne's heartbeat increased slightly.

"I love you," she whispered.

Thorne froze.

The last time she'd said that, it had been a drunken admiration of his body and dancing skills. She hadn't meant it.

This time, he couldn't brush it off with a cocky comeback.

This time, Thorne pretended to stay asleep as she lightly kissed his neck and then tucked herself in behind him.

When her breathing became regular and light, Thorne finally let the panic sweep into his every being. This was not good. She _loved_ him? After what, two months?

 _You fool,_ said his conscience. _Isn't that exactly what you started out trying to prove? That you could seduce Rapunzel_ and _her shy alter ego?_ How had he let it get this far? She couldn't possibly think he felt the same, could she?

Thorne slipped out of bed and left, not bothering to leave a note.

* * *

Cress called him the next morning but he didn't respond. What was he supposed to say? _Yes Cress, I heard you confess your undying love for me in the middle of the night and by the way, I don't love you back._ He let it go to voicemail. It was way too late for a friend speech at this point.

After seven dreadful voicemails of Cress wondering if he was okay, he finally texted her back:

_Sorry, forgot I had to take care of something. Just been busy._

She responded almost immediately:

_Good, I was worried._

Then his phone rang, and he cursed. Of course it was Cress. He hadn't thought about that before texting her. He reluctantly answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, you scared me this morning."

"Sorry," he said.

There was a pause, as if she were waiting for him to say more, but then she continued. "Will I see you tonight?"

"Ah. I've got plans already."

"Oh…okay," she said. "What about tomorrow, then? I get off work early," she said.

Thorne tried to think fast. "Oh—yeah. I'm having a small thing at my house tomorrow night. You should stop by," he said coolly.

"I thought you weren't busy this week?"

He knew why she sounded confused. Just yesterday he had said that he had nothing much going on this week. Why had he given that away? "Just decided. Spur of the moment thing. You know how it is."

"Well, okay. That could be fun."

"Alright, well I'll talk to you later. You take care." He hung up before she could respond.

Then he did the only thing he could think of.

He called Darla.

* * *

"I'm bored," whined Darla. She was already getting on his nerves after only being in the same room with him for twenty minutes.

Darla and Thorne had a history, and he imagined that she was wondering where exactly this evening was going. He had learned early on in their 'relationship' of sorts that it was better not to try to make too much conversation with her. She was one of the hottest girls he'd ever known, but her brain didn't exactly match her beauty. They hadn't seen each other in at least eight months, and he was already regretting choosing her out of all the girls he could have invited over instead.

Darla, on the other hand, was probably wondering why they were sitting in the kitchen, rather than running upstairs like they used to. They both understood how their relationship worked and Thorne was in some ways breaking the rules—and he was painfully aware of it.

"I'm sure the other people will be arriving soon," he said, but he checked his phone again. Sure enough, Cress had texted him that she was almost there and that she was sorry she was running late. He texted back that he was in the kitchen with the others and the door was unlocked.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said to Darla. "Come sit with me."

Darla finally smiled and came to sit on his lap, and he put his arms around her waist. "I know you missed me," he said cockily.

"Not as much as you're gonna miss me after tonight," she said, scooting back further into his lap.

"Well," he said, "I guess we'll have to wait and see." He heard the door open in the hallway and he said something to purposely make Darla laugh, and he joined in with her even though he knew that he wasn't actually being funny at all.

"Thorne?"

Thorne stopped laughing, but kept a casual smile on his face as he turned to face Cress, who was standing at the entrance to the kitchen. She held a pan of brownies in her hand. He knew without a doubt that they were his favorite—the kind with the mint. The expression on her face was a mixture of confusion and pain as her eyes flitted from him, to Darla, to the way they were sitting, and back to Darla again. It had to be sinking in.

"Hey, Cress," he said, patting Darla on the leg. "This is Darla. Darla, Cress."

Darla gave Cress a fake smile as she stood up, and consequently so did Thorne. Cress didn't say anything. Instead she walked to the table and set down the pan. She sized up Darla one more time, who had looped her arm around Thorne's bicep.

"Thorne, can I speak to you in the other room?" she said quietly.

Thorne swallowed, but thought he did an excellent job of keeping his composure complacent. "Sure thing. Darla, will you excuse us?"

Darla huffed, but she let go of his arm. Cress turned on her heels and marched out of the room. Thorne followed, already dreading what he knew he had to do next.

Cress narrowed her eyes the second they were alone. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who is that—that woman in there?"

"Darla? Oh, she's just an old friend."

" _An old friend who sits on your lap?_ "

Thorne shrugged. "No need to get upset, Cress."

"Thorne, you were sleeping in my bed just yesterday. You don't think I have a right to be upset that you are flirting with another woman in front of me?"

He nodded, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I see your point. Maybe I've just lost interest."

Thorne felt a horrible twist in his gut as his words began to sink in and her eyes filled with tears. How had he gotten into this horrible mess? Oh, right, he'd been cocky and horny at the Masquerade and tried to hook up with the first girl who had caught his attention. Like he always did.

But then they'd gotten stuck in an elevator together and he'd seen another side of her and gotten to know her. And stupidly thought he could have some fun without getting involved—as if he could just nonchalantly brush her into the friend zone like everyone else. Did he really think that he could continue not caring about who got hurt for the sake of his fun forever?

"We can be friends," he added.

Cress swiped at her tears. "But we're _together_."

"Cress," he said, teasing. "You've clearly been watching too many fairytales."

He knew he had crossed the line into complete douchery before he'd even said it—he was now _that_ guy. Nothing in the world could have prepared him for the agony that appeared on her face, though.

When she rushed out, he didn't follow her. It was better this way. Thorne made his way back to the kitchen, completely drained. The pan of brownies that sat on the table nearly knocked the wind out of him.

"Hello?" Darla was staring at him. "What in the name of spades was that?"

"Nothing," he said, looking away from her.

"Sounded to me like you guys were together."

"You were listening?"

"Obviously. The look on her face when she saw me gave it all away."

"Well congratulations, you made her jealous."

"Is _that_ why I'm here, Thorne?"

He didn't need to look at her to know that she was pissed. "Ding ding ding," he said sarcastically.

"Well, in that case…" Darla stalked over to him, and he finally looked up, just in time to receive a slap in the face. When she left, he wished that she had slapped him more than once. He was a terrible, terrible person.

* * *

Cress opened the door, but made to shut it immediately when she saw that it was him. He jammed his foot in the door.

"I'm sorry, Cress." He held out the flowers he'd brought her. "I got these for you," he said rather pathetically.

She crossed her arms. "Wow, thanks, a lousy bouquet of flowers after you don't contact me for two weeks."

He tossed the bouquet over his shoulder. "That's a no on the flowers, then."

"You think this is a joke?"

"No," he mumbled. "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"How could you? _How could you?_ After everything I told you!"

Thorne drew back in surprise. "Cress, this has nothing to do with what you told me. I'm actually offended you'd say that."

"Oh, you're _offended_ now," she said sarcastically. "Well do forgive me, oh Master of Feelings."

"Look." He ran both hands through his hair. Her sarcasm was making him nervous. "I'm sorry. I got freaked out when you said you loved me. I heard you."

Cress looked at her feet. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I don't know. I didn't know what to do. You said that thing about me rescuing you, and I just panicked."

"Well isn't that just like you, panicking at the first sign of emotion."

"News flash, Cress, I'm not some hero! And you're not in love with me. You're just using me as an excuse to cover up your problems."

"You think _I_ have problems? Me?"

"You're the one in therapy."

"At least I'm doing what I can to deal with all my issues. That's a heck of a lot more than what you've ever done."

"I don't have issues," he said lamely.

Her glare nearly knocked him over. "You keep telling yourself that. You're too blinded by whatever is going on with you to see that you're afraid of intimacy, afraid of real love."

He scoffed. "Who knows what real love is?"

"I do."

"You think it's some make-believe thing that no one could ever live up to!"

She closed her eyes and took a breath. He saw that her lips were trembling, and guilt washed over him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "That was out of line. I came over to apologize about that stunt I pulled with Darla. I promise we didn't do anything. She left five minutes after you did. It was a mistake—I see that now. I'm sorry and I miss you."

He thought he had done a pretty good job of explaining the situation, but Cress' sadness was replaced with anger again. "You think this is about _Darla_?"

"Well…yeah…"

"You're ridiculous."

"I don't—"

"You know," she continued, "I thought that for once in my life, maybe reality was better than whatever my imagination could conjure up. I started thinking that maybe you actually liked _me_. Because I was just _Cress_." Her eyes were getting that watery look again.

"Cress, I—"

"But now I see that I was just a conquest. Another notch on your belt, right? Well congratulations, Thorne. You won. You got me. Body and soul."

"It's not like—"

"You told me once that I should find something else to believe in. And maybe you're right. Fairytales are fake. Wishing for real love is pathetic. Oh, and you're an asshole and I never want to see you again."

Then she slammed the door in his face. Thorne felt two feet tall.


	18. Chapter 18

**KAI**

Kai never thought that the type of happiness he experienced with Cinder could happen to him. He had fallen for her so hard that he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to pull himself up again. He prided himself on taking his feelings and putting them into actions—surprising her at work (as much as her boss would let him), sending her cards and notes to remind her how much he was thinking of her (particularly whenever he had to work late), buying her chocolates and flowers (and bagels), and doing his best to be sensitive to any of her worries about their new relationship. So far, things were going great. Cinder had really opened up to him, and he in turn had begun to share more with her about his past. He had really gotten lucky that night of the snowstorm when they'd met.

Things were finally looking up for him.

He was ecstatic.

* * *

Kesley surprised him by showing up at his office while he was working late one day. It was strange to see him in an office setting, and Kai hadn't known that he'd know where to go, considering that he'd never come by before. Kesley did not look happy to be there, evidenced by the grimace he wore on his face as Kai ushered him in.

"Scarlet made me come," he said as his way of greeting. Then he sighed as he sat down in Kai's chair. "Sometimes, the things you do for love…"

Kai walked to one of the loveseats in the corner of his office and had a seat himself. "Is everything okay with you and Scarlet?"

"Oh, we're great," said Kesley. "I'm here on strict orders because of you and Thorne."

Kai grimaced in turn. "Get out of here."

Kesley folded his arms. "Scarlet is worried about the two of you not talking. Frankly, I don't care that much about your little friendship problems, but when my woman is concerned about something, it gets dragged out until we find a solution. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Are you here to try to force me to be friends with Thorne again? Because I've tried contacting him and he refuses to acknowledge me."

"It's understandable," said Kesley, looking him square in the eye. "He's defending his girl."

Kai could feel the misery washing over his face. "His _girl_? They're in a relationship now?"

"Seems like it. Scarlet is pretty convinced that Thorne practically lives at her house."

"Well that's just perfect!" said Kai.

Kesley frowned. "Why don't you just try getting to know her? She's kind of adorable."

He smiled, but Kai remained firm. "I have my reasons."

Kesley stood up. "I'll be going, then."

"That's it?" asked Kai.

"Look, if Scarlet asks, I tried, okay? I'm about as excited to be having this conversation as you are."

He began to walk out and Kai sank lower into his loveseat. Thorne didn't have girlfriends. It was practically a rule. "Hey Kesley?" he asked, looking back up again.

Kesley turned.

"Do they seem good together?"

"Well, Thorne is less guarded around her. It's not like with the other girls we've met." Kesley let out a laugh. "I'm sure you've met more than I."

Kai nodded, already forming a long list in his mind.

"I've seen him with her on a few occasions. When Cress is around, Thorne practically ignores almost everyone else and spends the whole time making lovey-dovey eyes at her."

"That doesn't sound like Thorne at all," said Kai.

"No, it doesn't. He's very attuned to her. It's like he senses how she feels and adjusts to it. He's still full of his usual antics, he just aims them at Cress."

"Poor thing," said Kai. He had seen her around the office a few times, but he hadn't bothered to say anything. It was too awkward. How could he talk to her without feeling like he was going behind Thorne's back?

"She keeps him in line though," Kesley continued. "They're a strange pair but somehow it works. She definitely likes him too. Half the time she's looking at him like she's just discovering him for the first time and the rest of the time like she could just roll her eyes all night."

"I guess that does sound like a relationship," Kai admitted.

"Whatever's wrong between the two of you, fix it. I could be spending my evenings doing something much more productive and much less painful."

Kai thanked him, though he wasn't sure why he did. He'd been trying to mend bridges with Thorne since the night that he had punched him. Thorne was the one who just didn't care anymore. And why should Kai care anyway? He had Cinder. _She_ was his new best friend.

* * *

_Why don't you double-check your facts before you open your mouth next time? Cress is amazing and you're an ass._

Kai rolled to his side and re-read the text he'd gotten from Thorne for probably the twentieth time. It wasn't the worst message or even insult that he'd gotten from Thorne since he'd known him, but it certainly wasn't a good one. It was slightly encouraging that he had finally responded after Kai's attempts to contact him over the last month.

He refreshed the screen on his phone. Did he have reception? Had Thorne received his text back? He'd written back right away, but Thorne had once again ignored him. But it was the middle of the night—maybe Thorne was sleeping. Though clearly he hadn't been sleeping when he'd texted Kai only twenty minutes ago. What was he doing up so late, anyway?

Kai wanted to be anywhere but alone with his treacherous thoughts. He'd been fine without Thorne—why did he have to go upset the balance now? Kai wanted to be with Cinder. He got out of his bed and made it to the hallway before pausing to think. Maybe he shouldn't go and complain to Cinder. After all, he'd convinced her to sleep over, hadn't he? He should just be thankful that tomorrow morning he would be able to eat breakfast with someone he cared about deeply.

Cinder hadn't offered to stay out of her own volition, and he wasn't sure if maybe he should tread carefully and not bother her while she slept. And wasn't he supposed to be pretending to be over-exhausted from working too much? He was such a liar. He had been fine today. He just hadn't wanted to say goodbye. If pretending that he was too tired to drive for just one night in their relationship meant that he got to wake up next to Cinder again, then he shouldn't feel so bad about it, right? It wasn't like he had been planning on trying anything.

He had severely underestimated Cinder's ability to exercise self-restrain, however, because she had just taken the spare bedroom. Kai hadn't factored that into his previous calculations, considering that he had basically forgotten that he even _had_ a spare bedroom. Well, at least he was dating a woman who was clearly smarter than he was.

The door to that room was practically always shut and it'd been a long time since anyone had needed to sleep over. It wasn't like his parents had any need to stay over either since they lived in the same city, though on the outskirts, and had a sizable mansion. Kai's penthouse was a joke to them. After finding spare sheets in the room's closet and demonstrating his inability to really make a bed properly, Cinder had made fun of him and then bid him goodnight.

He stalked over to her room sheepishly and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling like the prime example of a needy and clingy boyfriend. She wasn't in her starfish position, though, so maybe she wasn't sleeping so soundly yet anyway. He stroked her cheek a few times, and sure enough, her eyes fluttered open. She looked around briefly before sitting up and running her fingers through her hair.

"Thorne hates me," he said.

Cinder crossed her arms. "Are you just trying to get in bed with me?"

"I wish," he said dejectedly.

She smiled and patted the spot next to her. He scooted up instantly. "Thorne doesn't even know about us," he said quietly.

"I've met him a few times, Kai."

Kai shook his head fervently. "I want him to _really_ know you. You're so wonderful and funny and smart and…" He decided to stop trying to come up with adjectives and just give her as many little pecks of appreciation as she'd allow him. "The same goes for him with…with _Cress_. I meet Thorne's 'girls' all the time, but it's rare that I actually get to know them because it never goes any further. And now he has a _girlfriend_ who I know nothing about?"

"You didn't want to get to know her, Kai," said Cinder slowly. "From what you've explained to me about the situation, it sounds like you jumped to conclusions and pushed him away."

He had, hadn't he? But he'd just been trying to protect him. And even now he had no clue what was really going on. He wrung his hands. "I was trying to look out for him."

"Maybe there was just a different way to approach it," she said gently.

"I have one of the city's top ranked security specialists working for me and even he wasn't convinced of her sanity. What did you want me to do?"

"Look," she said, "I don't know Thorne that well, but I know that you know him. You tried warning him and getting mad at him and it didn't work. Maybe now you should just give him the benefit of the doubt and be happy for him."

"But he won't talk to me!"

She took his face in her hands and leaned in for a kiss of her own. Kai temporarily forgot why he was frustrated. "I know you'll figure it out," she said. "We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other in the future. Speaking of, when am I going to see you again?" she asked.

"Let's see…Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I have to work late. But maybe we can go out on Saturday?"

"Boo, you're always working late these days."

He pointed to himself. "Future CEO right here. Duty calls."

She tried to tickle him, but he nearly jumped off the bed. "Don't even _try_!"

Cinder laughed viciously and tried to tickle him again, but Kai was able to grab her hands before she could do any damage. He was ticklish to the point of no return, and he didn't quite think their relationship had reached the stage of him squealing and practically crying like a little kid on the floor yet.

Thankfully, Cinder yielded, but she had a glint in her eyes. "Well, Mr. Future CEO, I guess Saturday will work then. As long as it's in the evening, because I have my day shift on Saturday."

He feigned surprise. "You, working? Never."

"I don't work nearly as much as you," she protested.

"Fine, fine, we can both be workaholics. But Saturday night, you're mine." He hesitated before adding, "And I'd really like to take you somewhere nice. On me." Kai waited nervously for her response. "Please."

"I don't know," she said. "I'm fine with our cafés and drive-thrus and home-cooked meals."

"Please. I just want to wine and dine you, like you deserve. Take you to the most gorgeous restaurant ever and show off how gorgeous _you_ are. Be the full-blown romantic I can be. Not to mention buy you over-priced drinks and food that neither of us will be able to pronounce."

She rolled her eyes. "You'll probably be able to pronounce it."

"Is that a yes?" He smiled his most charming smile, the one that he'd come to learn she loved. Tricks of the trade, he supposed, but he was glad to have at least some ammunition against those brown eyes of hers. They could make him do pretty much anything.

"If it's really fancy, then we have to dress up," she said.

"You don't have to wear a dress," he said quickly. Kai tried to think of appropriate formal wear for the particular place he had in mind. "You could just…wear something else?"

"People will stare at me."

"If you don't want anyone to see us, I can get us a private booth. Private _room_ even."

She half-laughed. "Now you're just bragging."

"I know the owner. It'll be fine," he said. " _Please?_ "

"No, it's okay. I don't want to hide. It's only early Spring—it probably won't be warm enough yet for me to need to take off my jacket."

Kai's grin stretched from ear to ear, and he would have picked her up and twirled her around if he hadn't been so tired. Or comfortable. "So you'll come?"

She smiled too, though he knew she was trying to hide it. "Big fancy date with the future CEO of Rikan Corp? How could I possibly turn that down? Iko will have a fit."

"In fact she already has," he said, remembering when they'd first met.

"Oh, believe me, she'll do it again. And again."

Kai puffed up. "Well I guess you're just a lucky lady, then."

"Mmhmm."

He pulled her in for a hug. "Just kidding." He kissed the top of her head and then rested his cheek against her hair. "I know I'm the lucky one," he whispered.

"You really want to sleep here tonight, don't you?" she said.

"Only desperately," he said.

She gave him a small smack in the side.

"I promise I'll be good," he said.

"I know you will be," she said. "That's one of the reasons I love…" She reddened. "I mean…"

Kai felt like the happiest man on Earth. "I love you too, Cinder," he said.

* * *

The restaurant was indeed spectacular, even for Kai. It was exactly the type of place that men took their girlfriends to propose. He hoped that Cinder didn't know that, because it could have made his motives seem suspicious and consequently freak her out. That wasn't his intention at all, anyway. He just wanted to celebrate their love, and he couldn't think of a grander place.

Cinder looked beautiful. While she still wore a sweater to hide the burn marks that he knew were underneath, she had ultimately decided to wear a long dress after all. It covered everything that made her insecure but it still managed to compliment her features. He found himself constantly grinning, as if one more look from Cinder might make him explode. She was quite smiley herself, and Kai hoped that this meant she would let him take her out more often. He didn't want her to worry about money, or the fact that he had it and she didn't—he just wanted the two of them to have a good time. And maybe enjoy treating themselves every once in awhile. Like tonight.

While they were waiting for their desserts to arrive, Kai heard some commotion by the entrance and glanced in that general direction. He reeled when he saw what was going on. The hostess was arguing with a woman who had just entered and was apparently giving the hostess quite a hard time by the look of her face. It was a look Kai knew all too well, because it was the look that Levana Blackburn had when she was about to get her way.

Kai cursed. What was Levana doing here? He had purposely checked with Nainsi to make sure that she wouldn't be anywhere near the city this week, or he wouldn't have asked Cinder out—Levana frequented this restaurant often. He had to get Cinder out of there. Levana would ruin everything if she came over.

"Everything okay?" asked Cinder.

Kai tried to look calm. "Of course, why?"

"You look angry."

"Oh, I'm fine. Just realized I forgot something at home. In fact—we should probably go." He stood up abruptly, but Cinder stared at him like he was crazy.

"We haven't even gotten our dessert yet, Kai. And you have to pay."

"I have a tab." He held out his arm to her, but she didn't take it.

"Kai, sit down, you're being ridiculous. We'll get whatever you need as soon we're done."

It was too late. Maybe he shouldn't have stood up. Maybe he should have just tried to hide behind Cinder. But it probably wouldn't have mattered. He knew where Levana's preferred table was, and she would have had to walk by them anyway. So when Levana looked up from the hostess and caught Kai's eye, he could do nothing more than wave feebily.

Cinder turned around. "Who's that?"

Levana began to walk toward them. "Her name's Levana," he said, a pit forming in his stomach.

"Kai!" said Levana, a smile brightening her already attractive features. "What are you doing here?"

"Eating," he said weakly, and sank into his chair. Maybe Levana would just keep walking, he thought. Maybe she would leave them alone.

"Hi," said Cinder brightly. "Are you one of Kai's friends?"

Kai groaned internally as Levana stiffened. She turned slowly to face her, a haughty look darkening her eyes as she surveyed the girl who had interrupted her moment with Kai. She looked Cinder up and down and pursed her lips, clearly not impressed. Cinder looked Levana up and down too, probably noting how tan and glowing her skin was, how tight her dress was, and how perfectly proportioned her body was. Kai wanted to disappear beneath the table.

"Who are you?" said Levana curtly.

"I'm Cinder. It's nice to meet you, Levana."

"Cinder?" said Levana. "What a name. And what are you doing here, honey?"

Cinder looked slightly unsure of herself. "I'm Kai's girlfriend."

Levana laughed. "That's cute." She held out her hand, a massive gleaming diamond adorned on her ring finger. "I'm his fiancée."


	19. Chapter 19

Brow wrinkled and eyes fraught with confusion, Cinder ignored Levana and faced him instead. "Kai, what's going on?" Her voice was deadly quiet, like a placid lake just waiting for the wind to disrupt its surface.

Kai registered that Levana was laughing while saying something else but all he could think about was Cinder and the way she was looking at him. Waiting for him to correct the situation—to tell her that Levana was wrong. But she wasn't, not exactly, not in the way that Cinder needed assurance from him now.

Face completely flushed, he scratched at his neck and looked away from her. How had it come to this so quickly? He'd been planning to tell her eventually, but everything had been going so well between them. Talking about Levana would have brought up so many other problems in his life that it had just been easier to pretend like she just didn't exist for a while. Besides, he didn't love Levana—he didn't even _like_ her. He had wanted to think of a way to explain the whole situation to Cinder so that he could be sensitive and understanding and sweet. That way, he could be open with her in a way that wouldn't result in her getting hurt. Instead, he was cornered in the most awkward, horrible scenario his mind could imagine.

"Cinder," he started, then put his face in his hands to hide his shame. He realized that this wasn't a particularly comforting gesture for anyone but him and he quickly righted himself and tried again. "It's complicated, Cinder, and you have to believe me when I say that I was planning on telling you about… _everything_." Her face twisted at first with more confusion, then realization, and then shock, but it settled into complete disgust. She stood up, her hands shaking, and Kai sprang to his feet. "Cinder, if you just let me explain, I'll tell you everything. It's not exactly like it seems—"

"Aww," said Levana, flashing her perfect white teeth at Cinder. "Did you really think that someone like you had something to offer the future CEO of Rikan Corp?"

" _Levana_ ," said Kai through gritted teeth, " _would you please excuse us_?" He turned back to the girl he loved. "Cinder, I—"

"Whatever you think you can offer him," said Levana, "I've already given him."

"Shut up, Levana!" he said.

"And then some," she added.

Hurt and panic replacing the disgust on her face, Cinder took one more look at the two of them and bolted. Kai tried to push away from the table to run after her but Levana blocked the way, making his blood boil and costing him precious seconds in which he saw her disappear into the entry corridor. He ran around Levana, nearly knocked over a waiter, and sprinted until he reached the outside of the restaurant. But Cinder was nowhere to be found.

Bracing himself against his knees, Kai let out a string of the worst curses he could think of at the moment.

Someone clicked her tongue behind him, and he closed his eyes, trying to make himself think calm thoughts so he wouldn't take out his anger on Levana. She was not a very nice person, to say the least, but it wasn't her fault that he had lied to Cinder, and he knew he had to tread carefully around Levana. He could not let his emotions get in the way of everything.

But his resolve shook as he realized that he had probably made the biggest mistake of his life, and he wouldn't be surprised if Cinder never forgave him. He couldn't let her get away, though. He couldn't let it end like this. He had to at least tell her his side of the story. She had said she loved him, didn't she?

"You're not as cute as usual when you look like you're going to cry," said Levana. She reached for his hair but he batted her away.

"Give it a rest, Levana," he said wearily.

She narrowed her eyes. "I can't believe that I'm away for just a week and you have the nerve to bring another girl to _our_ restaurant."

"It's just a nice restaurant," he said. "Just because I've been here with you before doesn't mean I can't bring someone else."

"Yes it does," she said. "Especially when that girl is someone that you clearly have a crush on. I didn't think you were a cheater, Kai."

Kai clenched his fists together at his sides. "I'm not a cheater," he said. "We agreed that we could date whoever we wanted until we actually got married."

"Well," she said, crossing her arms, "it seems that I might want to re-negotiate our terms, because I'm jealous that my fiancé would prefer to spend his time with someone other than me."

Kai's palms began to sweat inside his fists. She wouldn't dare try to change the terms of their agreement now, would she? Not after everything he and his family had already sacrificed to please her parents. But if Levana were made to believe that Kai wouldn't follow through with their deal, then maybe she would try to take away even more of the small bit of freedom that he was so desperately trying to hang on to until they got married. She was a dreadful person, and she was capable of ruining his life even more than she already did.

But he knew, deep down, under all her taunts and fake smiles, that she really did want him. She always had. It was that fact alone that had saved his father from losing everything.

So he tried to relax, uncurled his fists, and took her hand in his. "You're right," he said, forcing the hatred out of him and away from the air that hung between them. "I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings. I was being tactless and stupid." He pulled her closer to him, until he was holding her other hand as well. "You know you don't have to be jealous. You're the one who's got my ring, my promise, my…heart."

She tilted her head, considering him.

"Levana, tell me how can I make it up to you," he said, already regretting the words.

"I want you to tell the press," she said.

Kai's eyes widened. "The—the press? But why? Why now?"

"I don't want to keep it a secret anymore, Kai," she said, coming dangerously close to him. He'd kissed Levana many times before, and each time he enjoyed himself less than the last time. Kai wanted to avoid it at all costs, but he knew he was probably mere seconds away from her lips encompassing his. "And I'm feeling particularly vulnerable," she said.

Kai wanted to snort. He was sure _vulnerable_ was something that Levana Blackburn had never felt in her whole life.

"Our parents might not approve," he said, trying to keep his eyes focused on hers and not on the way she kept glancing at his mouth with hunger. He fiddled with their intertwined fingers, hating himself and hating his father.

Hating everything that had brought him to this moment. Resenting the cards life had dealt him.

"We've been destined to be together since you proposed two years ago. It's about time that the world knows we're engaged," she insisted.

"There have already been rumors," said Kai. "We can keep it private for a little while longer and then surprise them with exclusive coverage at our wedding."

"No," she said, drawing away from him. "Tell them, or I'm telling my mother that you don't want to marry me anymore."

"Levana," he tried, "please be rational. I need some privacy to stay sane. If we tell them, the press will follow us everywhere."

"Good," she snapped. "Then you won't have time to run around with other girls behind my back."

Kai dropped to his knees. He winced as the asphalt hit him with more force than he had anticipated. "Please, Levana, I'm begging you. I made a mistake. Can't we at least talk about it some more? How about—how about you spend the weekend with me? We can go anywhere you like." More words that he regretted. More words he wouldn't be able to take back.

She put her hands on her hips.

"What about Venice?" he suggested. "It's beautiful there this time of year, and it's a city known for romance." Kai cringed inwardly. He loathed every word that was coming out of his mouth. He had wanted to take _Cinder_ there, not Levana.

She grabbed his arm and practically dragged him to his feet. "Fine. We'll continue this discussion in Venice." Levana pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Aimery, call the hanger and get the jet ready. Kai and I are going to Italy. Yes, _tonight_."

Kai wanted to scream at her, to rip the phone out of her hands, to crawl into a hole and die. If he left now, tonight, then he wouldn't be able to go to Cinder's house to apologize and beg _her_ to forgive him. She was the one who he had really wronged and deserved the apology, not Levana.

How could he have been so stupid? How could he have ever thought pursuing Cinder was a good idea? She was turning out to be a likely candidate for his dream girl, if ever he had one, and he had let himself get swept up in her. But all he had accomplished on that front was to build her up until he had shattered her heart.

As he reluctantly got into Levana's car, plastering on a fake smile for her benefit, misery washed over him. All the adrenaline from the evening now gone, he had to force himself to not try to jump out of the moving vehicle. His brief spurt of happiness was over. The life he'd been living since he'd met Cinder was a complete joke. This woman next to him—no matter how much he wanted to deny it—she was his reality, his future. He had resigned himself to this future two years ago, knowing what he was getting himself into, so why had he ever thought it could end any differently?

He had never felt so alone in his entire life.

* * *

Before they took off, he pulled up Cinder's number on his phone. He scrolled through some of their most recent text messages and felt a wave of nausea at the thought of her at home by herself, possibly crying into her pillow. Or maybe even worse, throwing some of her tools at a picture of his head. It was agonizing.

He couldn't call her with Levana around, so he did the only thing he could, which he hoped was better than nothing: he sent her a brief email.

_Cinder,_

_I would come to your house and tell you this in person, but I have to leave town unexpectedly. I'm so incredibly sorry that I hurt you. I know you must think the worst of me and that's understandable. I wasn't honest with you about everything going on in my life and I take full responsibility for messing everything up. But I need you to know that I love you so much and that I was not and am not cheating on you, even though it may seem that way. I meant it when I said this situation was complicated and I hope you'll give me the chance to explain as soon as I'm back. I am so, so sorry._

_I really do love you. I'll think of you every moment that I'm gone._

_Kai_


	20. Chapter 20

Stars, he was such a coward.

He'd been sitting in his car for almost two hours, trying to work up the courage to walk down the block, turn the corner, and climb the many steps up to Cinder's apartment. The only break he'd taken from sitting in his car had been to go the bathroom and get a coffee at the nearest café. It hadn't actually been very close, since they'd been to the nearest café together and Kai hadn't been quite ready yet to face those memories without her at his side. He'd never seen Cinder come back from work, but he was sure that he must have missed her during his coffee-bathroom break, because he'd memorized her work schedule while they were dating and he knew— _he knew_ —that she would have come home by now.

Stars, he was such a _stalker._

Kai rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants, a constant reminder of why he hadn't gone in yet, despite knowing she must be home. The energy spike he'd gotten once landed and safely away from Levana had been gone since he'd arrived on this street. His manic driving to get here was laughable now.

Cinder didn't want to see him, let alone talk to him or even return the many texts he'd sent her. Kai was, once again, desperately waiting for text messages back from someone he cared about. But unlike the situation with Thorne, Kai knew he had to tread carefully with Cinder. He had screwed everything up so badly and he knew it.

The past three months had haunted him while in Venice. The seclusion of the gondola rides he'd taken with Levana reminded him of a twisted version of every romantic moment he'd had with Cinder. The abundant shops with the masks that they sold year-round for the carnival season had mocked him from their displays. They had whispered _Masquerade Ball_ at him in Italian, even though he'd never even learned a word of the language. Meal upon meal of pasta, meats, and specialty desserts had made him want to call Cinder and laugh with her about how full his stomach was. And the architecture. Great stars, Cinder would have loved the architecture.

But there was nothing now. He had ruined everything.

Hitting the dashboard once, he tried to jolt himself back to the task at hand. He had ruined everything, but he could—no, he _would_ —fix it. And he couldn't do that on the phone if she continued to ignore him. He had to go in person. It was too bad that the streets were so much different than the windy, water-filled alleys of Venice. If only he could show up on a gondola boat with rose petals strewn inside, singing some sort of Italian romance ballad that would make any girl want do nothing else but jump into the boat with the guy. The thought annoyed him. Those guys had it so easy.

Kai glanced at the back of his car. He had done his best to make a grand romantic gesture, but now that he was ready to leave the car, twenty bouquets of roses really didn't seem like an ideal thing to carry all on his own. Not only was he a coward and a stalker, but he was a privileged idiot too, having let Nainsi and some of her secretary fans load his car for him. He could manage maybe four at once. That was still a pretty good amount of bouquets for an apology, wasn't it? Then again, he'd never really planned on apologizing this profusely to a woman before. Hence, twenty bouquets.

Maybe, on second thought, that was going overboard too. Maybe Cinder would think he was being too showy, or acting too "rich." He really _was_ an idiot, wasn't he? She hated when he bought her things. She probably just hated gifts in general too. Slamming the driver door, he opened up the back and decided on just three bouquets of different colors. It was manageable enough to carry, and didn't look overly ridiculous either. He walked slowly, reciting the speech he'd crafted carefully. It wasn't as full of declarations of love as he had imagined it would be, but it was raw and real and painful. It was a risk, but it was the truth, and that was what Cinder needed now, not some glossed-over version of what he wanted her to hear.

The steps up to her door were just as annoying as ever, and when he reached the top he was out of breath from physical exertion and building nerves. He considered walking back down again, but finally plucked up some courage. Bending down, he placed two bouquets on the corners of her welcome mat, and held the last one in front of him. He choked down the urge to smile as he rang the doorbell, knowing that Cinder wouldn't take him seriously if he looked too happy to see her.

The door opened almost immediately, but before he could even greet her, Cinder slammed it shut again. He heard a lock click, and his entire being deflated. No! No! No! No! This was not how it was supposed to go. Cinder was supposed to linger just long enough for him to begin talking so that she would hear him out. She had to hear him out!

He rang the doorbell again, but there wasn't even any indication of footsteps on the other side of the door. He tried knocking, but she didn't respond to that either. He tried waiting patiently but after a few minutes, he didn't want to wait anymore.

He began banging on the door. "Cinder! Please open the door! I have to talk to you!" He paused, his fist hovering just over the door. When she didn't respond again, he continued. "Please just hear me out. I have to explain everything to you, Cinder. I'm so sorry for hurting you but I _promise_ there is an explanation!"

Kai was gripping the bouquet with such force, he was sure that a thorn would stab through his palm soon. But he wouldn't let go. He would not leave until she came back to talk to him. Because if she didn't come out…well, he wouldn't think of that now, because this was Cinder and she loved him too and she would come out if he just waited long enough.

He banged again. "Cinder, please! Hear me out!"

The door suddenly opened, causing Kai to nearly fall into the doorway, but it was not Cinder who stood there. It was a man, tall and muscular and blond and blue-eyed. He looked a bit like the guy who had played Hercules on a TV show when Kai was younger, but something about him was familiar. It took him a moment to process what was happening as he shoved Kai back from the door and stepped into the hallway with him. The man shut the door behind him and crossed his arms, veins popping in his arms in that intimidating sort of way that Kai himself was never able to pull off.

The man glared as Kai's heart dropped to his stomach. "What do you want?"

"I…I…" he stuttered. "I didn't realize Cinder was…with someone else."

"You don't realize a lot of things, apparently," the man hissed. "Like when a woman clearly doesn't want anything to do with you anymore."

"Cinder!" called Kai. "Cinder, please!"

The man took a step towards Kai. "I'm talking to you right now."

"I have to see Cinder," said Kai. "I have to explain."

Something flashed in his eyes. "You and Cinder are done _,_ do you hear me?"

"No, I—"

" _Done_."

"If you just—"

"You're not going to give me any trouble now, are you?" The man sneered and uncrossed his arms, flexing his fists. "Anyone who hurts Cinder answers to me. In fact"—he took a step closer until he was almost glaring down at Kai—"you already _did_ hurt Cinder. So I don't know why we're still talking."

Kai took a step back and held the bouquet lamely in front of him, as if it could protect him. "Wait! It was a misunderstanding. I love Cinder."

"Save me your sappy speech and get out of this building."

Something in Kai's mind clicked. A photograph. A smiling couple. "You're—you're Jacin! You're Cinder's cousin's husband."

Jacin's eyes narrowed. "Get out of this building."

Kai wanted to laugh with relief. Cinder wasn't dating someone new. She hadn't moved on. Maybe her cousin was here because Cinder needed some support during what she thought was a break-up. Only Kai wasn't breaking up with her. And he wasn't going to let Cinder break up with him until she heard him out.

"Okay," he said. "I'll go. Please just tell Cinder that I love her and that it's not what it seems. Levana is my fiancée only because my parents entered into a business arrangement with her family. I don't want to marry her at all. I love _Cinder_."

Jacin's stony expression didn't change, but he turned back to the door, surveying the bouquets Kai had laid outside her door. "Looks like you're preparing for a funeral, genius." He opened the door to Cinder's apartment again, and a stunning girl with a worried expression on her face peaked over Jacin's shoulder before he slammed the door behind him. It must have been Winter, Cinder's cousin.

Shaking, Kai leaned against the wall across from her door. What would he do now? What _could_ he do?

He would fight for her, that's what.

For once, he would find a way.

* * *

It only took him fifty minutes to get there in traffic. Instead of the usual sense of relaxation he felt when he went to Thorne's house, worry filled his lungs with every breath. They hadn't spoken in _forever_. Maybe he wasn't even home. It didn't matter; he would wait on the doorstep if he had to—or in the car, if the Spring weather cooled down too much to allow him to be outside. And unlike Cinder, Thorne would hear him out, wouldn't he? Once he knew what happened, he would come around like he always did. He would probably even cheer him up. Only Kai wasn't sure what to expect anymore. Thorne having a girlfriend who he protected so fiercely that he would shut out his lifelong best friend was new territory for Kai.

He didn't answer the door, which initially made Kai curl his fists in frustration. He punched the door once, then let out a slow breath before trying the doorknob anyway. It was open. "Figures," he muttered. The familiar hallway entrance greeted him with a few rays of sunshine that fell onto the floor. He decided to walk to the living room and take a nap on the couch until Thorne came back. After all, he was still fairly jetlagged and furthermore completely drained from the whirlwind weekend and putting up with Levana, not to mention the encounter with Jacin.

A sound stopped him. There was music coming from upstairs. He cocked his head and listened—it was a familiar song, one he hadn't heard in many years. Not since the two of them had tried to get into the emo scene (with great failure on both of their parts). His lips shaped the words silently without hesitation, the lyrics coming back to him as if he had just listened to the song yesterday, reminding him of so many people and places from his past. It was a song of complete agony, but when it was over, the song started again. Frowning, Kai bounded to the second floor, taking the stairs two at a time.

Just in time to see Thorne sprawled on his bed, facedown, muttering, " _And this bottle of beast is taking me home."_

Kai did a double take as he surveyed the room. It was messy, with clothes on the floor and bottles of beer lining the bookcase and nightstands. The door to his massive closet was wide open with more of his precious outfits strewn on the floor, as if someone had just plowed into it with the intent of causing as much destruction as possible. His bed was unmade, but the most unmade of all was Thorne: he wore only boxers coupled with a hoodie, mismatched socks, and his normally groomed hair stuck up in all directions.

Kai cleared his throat loudly just as Thorne sang—rather pathetically—" _I hope you're as happy as you're pretending."_

Thorne shifted slightly, only to notice Kai and then slam his face back into the pillow. "You were right. Cress was my downfall. Come here to gloat?"

Kai walked over to the stereo and turned the volume down just a bit before plopping down on the bed too. He wrung his hands and stared up at the ceiling. "No."

"Go away," said Thorne.

"Not gonna happen. You clearly need me."

"I'm fine."

Kai snorted. "Don't insult me. You're listening to Dashboard Confessional and you look like you haven't showered in days."

"Correction," was his muffled response. "It's the Legion of Doom mash-up."

"Right," said Kai. "Even worse. So—"

Thorne moaned into the pillow. " _Your hair…is…everywhere…"_

"Yes, I remember the words—"

" _SCREAMING INFIDELITIES AND_ —"

Kai smacked him. "Thorne!"

Thorne grunted, sighed, and finally rolled over. Kai was relieved to see that his eyes were not rimmed with red, so at least he hadn't been crying. That would have been an entirely new territory that even Kai wouldn't know how to cross.

"Turn the music off," he said.

Thorne reached for the remote at a glacial pace, but finally turned it off.

"So…" said Kai. "What happened?"

Thorne put his hands over his face. "What happened is that I'm an idiot."

"Well, I could have told you that."

" _Ha-ha_. Cress wanted commitment and I ruined it."

"You gave her the friend speech?" he guessed.

"No, she broke up with me after I pretended to be cheating on her with Darla."

Kai shot into a sitting position. "What!?"

"I told you, I'm an idiot."

"But…you like Cress, don't you?"

Thorne shrugged. "She's okay."

Kai laughed and gestured around the room. "Sure. Because a girl who's just _okay_ makes you lose your mind."

"Kai, she said she loved me! _Loved me_!" Thorne's blank eyes finally filled with some emotion.

"Is that so terrible?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. All I want is for Cress not to be mad at me anymore. She won't return my calls, you know. I thought I would feel better if I stopped calling her but I know I won't feel better until she forgives me. Then I can move on, knowing she's okay."

"Doesn't look like you want to move on." Kai waved at the room again, but Thorne looked around the room as though he didn't even notice the chaotic state it was in. Kai was pretty sure that Thorne's feelings of sadness wouldn't end at just earning Cress' forgiveness. Despite the circumstances, the thought made Kai want to grin. Oh, Thorne. The poor guy just had no clue, did he? "I don't know much about Cress," he said, "but you were obviously attracted to her, anyone could see that."

Thorne rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm attracted to her."

"And do you enjoy hanging out with her too? Talking to her?"

"Yes."

"Friendship plus romance is a pretty great formula for love," he said casually, not daring to meet Thorne's eye.

"Thanks for that clarification, Dr. Kai. I'm not in high school anymore."

Kai smirked. "You're the one listening to Dashboard."

"They are timeless," Thorne insisted. "Besides, you forget that for two people to be together, they have to want the same thing."

"And what's that?"

"To be together. Cress wants that, not me. She wants princes and true love and happily ever after."

Kai stared at Thorne. "And you don't want that."

"No. Especially not the princes."

Kai got up off the bed. He rubbed his hands together and then stuffed them into his pockets. He kicked at a pile of clothes on the floor before turning back to Thorne. "If you didn't want all that, then you wouldn't be all depressed right now."

"What are you even doing here?" said Thorne.

"I got dumped too," he said, kicking at the pile with more intention.

"Get out! You and Cinder didn't make it?" Kai glanced at Thorne, who was now sitting upright and watching Kai intently. His eyes suddenly widened and he pointed at him. "You did something! I see it all over your face. That's guilt, man! That is _guilt_!"

"She found out about"—he cringed—"Levana."

Thorne jumped up. "No! You hadn't told her?"

"No."

"Holy spades, Kai! This whole time I thought that Cinder was just that cool and loving and understanding that she was willing to overlook the fact that you have an evil fembot for a fiancée! It never occurred to me that you would leave her in the dark. That's twisted."

"I'm an idiot too, okay?" he burst out. "I was waiting for the right time."

Thorne shook his head. "Not cool, Kai."

"You pretended you were cheating on Cress!"

" _Pretended_ ," said Thorne. "Does Cinder…does she think you're sleeping with Levana?"

Kai blanched. "Probably! I don't know! She won't talk to me. I was just there and this blond bodyguard of a brother-in-law wouldn't let me talk to her, so yes, she probably thinks the second I leave her I run into Levana's arms. Oh, and she's seen Levana."

Thorne's eyes bulged. "Shit. She's…well, you know what I think of Levana from an objective, purely physical point of view."

"Yes, thank you Thorne, I know Levana is beautiful. That doesn't mean I would choose her over Cinder!" Then he folded his arms. "Hey, Cinder is beautiful too."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean."

"What am I supposed to do?" said Kai.

"You have to tell her that it's just a business arrangement and that once you're married you have no intention of ever even being in the same room as Levana again."

"Easier said than done. As long as the brother-in-law is around, I don't stand a chance of approaching her."

Thorne nodded and looked around the room, until his eyes fell on a pair of jeans in the corner. He hastily pulled them on and attempted to smooth back his hair in the mirror. "You need a relationship expert. A woman." After studying himself more intently, he sighed and finally threw his hood over his head. "You need Scarlet."

Kai stared at Thorne. "Now?"

"Well, why not? Time is not a friend to guys who screw up royally with their girlfriends."

"But what about you? What about Cress?"

Thorne took a deep breath. "I just need to…snap out of it. Yeah. This will help. Give me a purpose. Let's go."

Kai hesitated. "Thorne, sorry I overreacted about Cress."

A nod of recognition. "Sorry I shut you out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Thorne has looped is called The Quiet Screaming by The Legion of Doom. It is a mash-up remix of Screaming Infidelities by Dashboard Confessional and The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows by Brand New. All lyrics that were quoted (in italics) in this fic were from Dashboard Confessional. To anyone who has not heard The Quiet Screaming, I highly recommend doing yourself a favor and listening to it on Youtube so that you can 1) enjoy a fabulous song remix full of agony and 2) get the full picture of Thorne's pain (lol). This song came out in 2006. Considering that the guys are 26 in this fic, this song would have been popular when they were in high school.


	21. Chapter 21

**THORNE**

The light on the top of the Kesley-Benoit front door shone directly on Thorne's face. He tugged the hood of his sweatshirt over his forehead just a bit more while he squirmed under Scarlet's fierce scrutiny.

"Are you on drugs?" she said.

"Scarlet," said Thorne, rocking on his heels. "What do you take me for?"

"Look at him," said Scarlet, finally taking her eyes off of him and looking to Kai for confirmation.

Kai glanced sideways at him. "Thorne's going through a bit of a…rough patch."

"Me?" said Thorne. "We're here for _you_."

Scarlet looked between them. "Am I to understand that you two are friends again?"

"Never weren't," said Kai.

"Thick as thieves," added Thorne. Though his voice was casual, he was dying to get inside and re-inspect his appearance. Sure, he'd thrown on the first thing he could find, and had known his hair had no salvaging after more than two days without washing it, but really, could he look as bad as Scarlet was making it seem?

"Z!" called Scarlet. "We have company."

Kesley's giant form appeared behind Scarlet, though Thorne couldn't make out his face from the intensity of the light.

"Hey guys," said Kesley. "Come on in."

Scarlet's curls whipped as she turned to Kesley. "It's 8:00 P.M. and both Kai and Thorne show up at our residence, one of them looking like he's had a mental breakdown, and you're unconcerned?"

Thorne thought that Kesley had shrugged, but either way, Scarlet stepped aside and finally ushered them in.

"Thanks," said Kai. "We won't be long."

"Yeah we will," said Thorne. He stepped into their hallway but changed his mind about the mirror. Instead, he walked straight to their living room, where he let himself collapse onto their couch. He had already exerted way too much energy just driving over here.

Energy. _Food_.

Yes, he probably just needed some food. When was the last time he had eaten, anyway? "Got any leftovers, Scarlet?" he called.

Kai groaned. "Don't."

"Scarlet likes feeding me," he muttered, slipping the hood over his eyes completely. Ah, the familiar darkness. He felt better already.

"Guys." Scarlet's voice. "You know we love having you over, and you're welcome whenever you want, but I must say my curiosity is peaked with both of you just showing up like this."

"Well, it's somewhat of a long story," Kai mumbled.

"Kai didn't tell Cinder about Levana and she found out," Thorne offered. A gasp and the click of a tongue followed his statement. He rolled to his side and snuggled into the couch pillow.

Someone prodded his shoulder and he grunted. "What?"

"I thought you were snapping out of it," said Kai.

He had _obviously_ snapped out of it already. Why else would he have offered to drive Kai all the way over here? Couldn't a man just relax a little without annoying questions and comments? "I'm tired and hungry."

"What's wrong with him?" said Scarlet.

"Cress dumped him," said Kai.

Thorne grunted again. "Technically, I dumped her."

Kesley's deep laugh filled the room. "Well, you have fun, Scarlet. Seems like you've got your work cut out for you."

"You're not going anywhere," she replied.

A huff and some shuffling, then footsteps faded out of the living room as others moved closer to him; they were probably sitting down. Though the idea had seemed a stroke of genius an hour ago—coming over here to get some girly advice from Scarlet for Kai—he now regretted having come in the first place. The last few days had been rough, sure—okay, maybe the last few weeks—but he was clearly already doing two hundred percent better than he had been before Kai had showed up. Now he would have to sit around in a group pow-wow and listen to Scarlet lecture Kai about his feelings. This kind of thing was boring. Feelings were the last thing that he needed to talk or think about at the moment.

"Funny," said Kesley. "I would have thought you'd be the one moping while Thorne tries to cheer you up."

"I am cheering him up," said Thorne. "It was my idea to bring him here to talk to Scarlet."

"It was," Kai confirmed. His voice sounded rather deflated to Thorne, though admittedly it could have been his hood blocking out some sound.

Scarlet's footsteps came back into the room, and something clinked against the coffee table. Scuffling and crunching followed.

"Thanks, Scarlet," said Kai, "these are delicious."

"I helped Scar make them," said Kesley.

Scarlet laughed as if addressing a child. "Of course you did, Z."

"They're great," said Kai. "Thorne, don't you want to see what Scarlet made?"

He did, actually, want to see very much what Scarlet had brought out for them, but he was too lazy to get up. "I'm learning what it's like to be blind," he said. "So why don't you just tell me?"

"Thorne," said Scarlet.

"Mm?"

"I know you're hungry. I brought out some leftover bruschetta." This made him turn and peek through his hood, mouth watering. Scarlet stood right over him, hands on her hips. "Sit up straight and I'll give you some."

He considered. The food was tempting, but he was so comfortable. Their couch was actually much more comfortable than his own, and after being in a bed for so long, it felt nice to have different furniture supporting his body. Maybe his next splurge would be on a fancy, reclining, L-style couch with an adjustable base for sleeping…

Someone tugged roughly at his arm. "Get up, you idiot, you're not a teenager anymore."

Thorne reluctantly sat, rubbing his arm, which was probably already bruising thanks to Kesley-the-bully. He shot him a dirty look before reaching for the bruschetta.

"So," said Scarlet, taking a seat next to Thorne, "start from the beginning."

Kai began talking, chronicling every moment of his relationship with Cinder from the very first day he'd met her at Thorne's house. He was slightly interested in hearing about some of the details of Cinder and Kai's relationship during the period when he and Kai hadn't been speaking, but Kai had a knack for analyzing and overthinking every part of every single step he'd ever taken, so he mostly tuned him out. Talk about draining.

Instead, Thorne thought more about the possibility of redecorating his place, considering the unique interior of Scarlet and Kesley's house. They had only recently moved in, having taken almost two years to build their own house. Kesley was skilled at working with wood and the design had been his own. While it wasn't a log cabin, the interior looked almost exactly like one. He worked on a lumbar yard on the side, which he had done even while he was in college.

Scarlet and Kesley were actually setting up an independent private investigator business, but they both still had to work in other fields until that took off. Thorne assumed that it wouldn't take too long, considering that Scarlet was excellent at tracking down clues and doing general detective work—sometimes he liked to point out that she was just a nosy person. Kesley, on the other hand, had killer instincts; maybe developed during the time he'd been involved in a gang or maybe just born that way. Either way, they were definitely a power couple together, and they balanced each other out well, despite each being decidely headstrong. He was glad that he was on their good side and could count them as friends.

He ate more bruschetta and excused himself to get a beer. When he brought it back though, Kai snatched it away from him. "Oh no, you've definitely had enough."

"Says who?"

"Says your room and—" he pointed up and down at Thorne "—your current state of being. Plus, you're driving me home after this."

Thorne lost it. "What is wrong with everyone? Why is it such a big deal that I look like this? I dress impeccably well every other day of my life so you'd think that the one day I choose to dress down, you'd all cut me some slack. Maybe I just enjoy being comfortable. I have no one important to see tonight." The three of them exchanged pointed glances. "Obviously, I don't mean you three," he muttered.

Scarlet cleared her throat and stared at Kesley until he finally sighed. "Thorne, no one cares that you're not dressed up. But as you mentioned—"

"—we never see you like this. Ever," finished Scarlet.

"Ever," echoed Kai. "You should have seen him when I got to his house."

"Okay, I got it. We are not here for me, though, we're here for Kai. I am going to be _fine_." More glances exchanged at his expense. "I will be."

"Oh, sweetie." Scarlet patted his knee.

He smirked. "You wish I was your sweetie. Unfortunately not everyone can have that privilege."

"Thorne pretended he was cheating on Cress because she told him she loved him," said Kai.

Glaring at his best friend, Thorne leaned back into the couch. "Way to lay it out all on the table there, buddy."

"Just returning the favor."

Scarlet held up her hands. "Let's be honest. Most boys are emotional idiots." Kai, Thorne, and Kesley did not look at her appreciatively, but she continued. "Of course, not everyone is, but you two definitely fall into that general rule. Most women at some point recognize this, but we tend to be idiots too, so we give you boys a bit too much credit anyway. There's always that one guy who breaks the emotional idiot rule and sets a great example for the rest of you. So, as women, we can get excited thinking that the boy we love will be an exception to that rule as well."

"I'm that guy, though," said Kai.

She gave him a very Scarlet-y look—the one that Thorne was usually on the receiving end of instead.

"Oh sure," she said. "Because that guy that we all hope for will lie to us about being engaged." Kai's face fell as Thorne snickered. He fell silent when Scarlet's steely gaze fell to him instead. "You should not be laughing. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I am," he said quietly. He played with his tangled, greasy hair. "It just got out of hand."

"At least you recognize it."

"You're one to talk!" He huffed and gestured to Kesley. "Your _boy_ was the one who almost got me expelled. He's done so many bad things in his life."

Kesley grimaced, but Scarlet scoffed. "No, you were stupid enough to involved with a shady gang. Z may have done bad things—he's another example of the rule of idiots I was talking about earlier—but it was your choice to get involved with them. You sought out the risk."

He couldn't really argue that. As he'd confessed to Cress, gambling had been a weakness of his for many years of his life. Some of the offers that Kesley's former gang had made to him back then had been too tempting for him to resist. But she was right; he could have walked away. He could have listened to Kai, who always tried to be the good little angel on one of his shoulders. Until now, when Kai was in just as deep as Thorne was. In fact, maybe even more, because Kai was actually in love with Cinder. And he was stuck with Levana—a thought that made Thorne shudder.

"Kai," said Scarlet, "you're in a crazy, tangled, mess of a thing. I remember when you entered into that strange arrangement with your family and Levana's family. We've all seen you suffer for it. I don't have any advice for you. All of us at some point have tried to get you out of that situation or encouraged you to date other people. You are going to have to come up with a grand plan to figure that one out."

"But if she would just _hear me out_ —"

"What are you going to tell her?" asked Kesley. "Cinder, I'm engaged, but I still want you."

"It's—"

"—complicated," finished Thorne. "We know. _You_ are complicated."

"I'm just trying to make this right."

Scarlet shook her head. "Women need assurance that they're the most important thing your life. Not some business deal."

Kai crossed his arms, eyes slits. "It's my family, Scarlet. I know your parents aren't around, so you might not get that, but—"

"Whoa," said Kesley abruptly. "You think just because Scarlet's parents are dead she doesn't understand what it means to have family?"

"He doesn't mean it," said Thorne, crunching loudly on another bruschetta—the last one, unfortunately—just as Kai, red-faced, mumbled "Sorry."

"He's just frustrated." Thorne wiped the remaining crumbs on his pants. "I don't have some business deal with Levana's family. _I'm_ the most important thing in my life. Cress should have understood that."

"And he wonders why he's miserable," said Kai.

Scarlet said, "Thorne, your case is much simpler."

He snorted. "My case? This isn't one of your investigations, Scarlet."

"It doesn't need to be. Anyone can see that you've fallen in love with the girl and you're completely unable to handle your feelings."

An uncomfortable churning began in Thorne's stomach. He had just eaten too much food, obviously. He ignored it and waved a hand in the air. "Nah. I just feel really bad. Cress is a sweet girl and I treated her badly. I gotta work out a new strategy for the next one."

Kesley raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been broken up?"

"Four weeks, two days? Something like that." They all stared at him. "Yes?"

"And who have you been dating since then?"

He shrugged. "No one. Thought I needed a little break before I got in the game again. Don't want to make the same mistake." He snapped his fingers. "Kai, that's it. Let's just go out and have fun. You're single, I'm single. We just need new perspectives." He _had_ been moping too long. How was he supposed to ever feel better if he just kept dwelling on the situation? That was what Kai did, not him.

Kai shook his head, though. "I don't want to meet anyone else. I want to work things out with Cinder."

Kesley clapped him on the shoulder. "Good for you."

"Did you at least try to apologize to Cress?" asked Scarlet.

"Of course, what do you think I am, an insensitive jerk?" The look Scarlet gave him made it painfully clear that Scarlet did, indeed, think that he was insensitive jerk worthy of all sorts of punishments. "She just yelled at me and now won't return my calls."

After he had brought flowers to her house that one day, he had tried calling her several times per day for a week and a half. But after a while, he just started feeling like a lovesick idiot, which was exactly what he wasn't. He was just trying to set the record straight. He wasn't a cheater, he never had been. He had been incredibly stupid and cruel to make her think that he would do that to her, and he should have handled the situation differently. Scarlet, Kesley, and Kai did not need to know all the details. They would just think he was weak, running after her like that.

"I saw you two together," she continued. "We all did." Kesley and Kai nodded. "She definitely likes you a lot. I bet Cress wouldn't be so mad if she didn't still care about you. But you have to do something before she completely moves on."

"Look," said Thorne. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but can we please focus on Kai? Remember? The reason why we're here?" Kai was surprisingly holding himself together fairly well. It wasn't that Thorne had expected him to cry or anything—not even Kai went that far with some of his drama, but he had thought he'd at least be more of a wreck. Thorne tried to give him an encouraging smile. "We'll come up with a plan. Don't worry, Kai."

"I think I should call Iko," said Kai. "She might have some ideas."

Thorne wiggled his eyebrows. " _I_ could call Iko for you. Maybe she still has a thing for me."

"No," said Kai. "You are not doing _anything_ right now."

Scarlet stood. Her lips pressed into a thin line, but despite the sternness in her voice, she was clearly trying to be gentle. "Kai, I didn't want to say this earlier, but I'm just going to put it out there." She hesitated, glanced at Kesley for support, and he nodded briskly. "You're not going to get Cinder back while you're still with Levana."

"You guys know I can't get out of that situation," he said defensively. "Cinder just needs to hear me out and she'll understand I didn't do anything to hurt her," he added, before standing up as well.

Thorne half-heartedly got out of the couch too and gazed longingly at it as they began to leave the living room. In his opinion, their trip to Scarlet and Kesley's had been a complete waste of time. Well, except for some of the new ideas he now had for his own place…


	22. Chapter 22

The dimly-lit room with the blinking neon sign was a pathetic excuse for a bar. When Thorne had finally cracked through Kai's defenses and convinced him to go out, he hadn't imagined they'd end up at the type of locale where elderly gentleman tended to hit on very young females. It was the closest bar to Iko's apartment, and Thorne was worried that Kai would change his mind if they didn't just go inside immediately.

Now, two beers down, Kai was slightly more relaxed and optimistic. His anxiety over Cinder still not responding to any of his messages had made him a constant presence at Thorne's apartment over the past three days. He'd skipped work completely, claiming he didn't want to risk running into Levana until he had a better idea of what to do. Kai's nerves were slowly unraveling Thorne's patience, which he knew was already something he possessed little of. Still, despite how much he complained about him, Thorne was relieved to have Kai back in his life.

Thorne had texted Kesley, encouraging him to come out with them. Now, Thorne was stalling Kai until Kesley would show up, see what kind of crap bar they were in, and hopefully suggest heading some place more fun. It had been too long since Thorne had really enjoyed himself. A night out with the guys was just what he needed. Listening to Kai brainstorm ideas about getting Cinder back was certainly a distraction, but it wasn't enough to keep his meandering thoughts from going back to his own screw-ups with Cress.

He'd texted her again the day after talking with Scarlet—he'd apologized again and said he'd like to see her, if she were willing. Just to chat. Cress hadn't replied, of course, but maybe it was for the better. Watching Kai stumble over a million feelings going in all different directions was enough to convince him that his continued worries probably weren't worth the trouble.

He'd tried to contact her, tried to apologize, tried to see her. At some point, a guy had to admit defeat. There wasn't much else he could do, he figured, except now try to move on with his life. Tonight could be the night to turn it all around. He'd barely laid eyes on a different girl since Cress had left him. With his buddies at his side and a better atmosphere, his perspective could change for the better. It _would_ , he decided.

Kai was taking turns swiveling his coaster between his hands and pausing to spin it like a dreidel. It inevitably always fell down, but Kai continued his own personal game nonetheless. "I just have to wait for Iko to give me the green light," he said. "She's going to get Cinder to see me somehow."

"So you said," said Thorne, checking his phone. Luckily, Iko hadn't refused to see him. Thorne was pretty sure it was because Kai was somewhat famous, and Iko was kind of obsessed with the mere idea of him, but it didn't matter. It was a small victory for Kai. Considering that his call to recount his time with Iko had ended with him agreeing to go out, it was a small victory for Thorne too.

He took a small sip of his beer. It was probably just the lame bar, but Thorne hadn't really been into the scene thus far. He'd hoped having a drink or two would loosen him up, but he'd barely made it through one beer before he'd felt that he'd had enough. "You ever think how much easier this would be if we'd just been born to other parents?"

Kai's hand paused on the upright coaster. "In what way?"

"You wouldn't be engaged. I wouldn't be...the way I am."

He shook his head. "That would put me in a different life. I wouldn't have met Cinder."

"There you go again."

"What?"

"You sound like Cress. Believing in fate and all that crap."

"Maybe you should give it a try."

"Maybe you should dump Levana."

Their eyes met, each daring the other to change his opinion, then both laughed. They knew it was a moot point to convince the other of much of anything, particularly at a time like this.

"Come on," said Thorne, rising from the barstool. He threw a twenty on the counter. "Kesley just texted. He's waiting outside."

"With Scarlet?"

"Nope. No women tonight." A slow grin formed on his lips. "Well, none that we know, at least."

Kai reluctantly got up as well. "Where are we going?"

With as much enthusiasm as he could muster, he put his arm around Kai's shoulder and gestured at the exit. "Wherever we want, man. With no one to tie us down or tell us what to do, nothing is stopping us from having a fabulous night." Kai nodded and they headed out, with Thorne trying to convince himself that what he'd told Kai was actually what he believed.

* * *

They managed to agree on a somewhat newer establishment closer to the downtown, but not close enough to Kai's office that he felt he would run into someone he knew. The bar had lively music, good food, and a dance floor that was somewhat separated from the bar area. Thorne appreciated this fact, because despite the usual enjoyment he got from going to clubs, he was not in the mood at all to dance—especially not with Kai or Kesley around. Surprisingly, he was also still not in the mood for alcohol either.

The all-you-can-eat chicken wings were glorious. They polished off a third plate and contemplated getting a fourth, mainly because Kesley ate six out of the ten wings on each plate before Kai and Thorne could barely finish off their own two. Kesley was never without appetite, so they went ahead and ordered another round. The waitress, who was friendly and somewhat sassy, kept brushing up against Thorne's leg with the bare part of her leg as she took their orders. In the skirt and knee-highs she was wearing, he couldn't deny she was attractive. On a normal night it probably would have stroked his ego to know that she was trying to get his attention. Tonight, he just laughed it off with the guys, rolling his eyes melodramatically and getting back into the lively discussion they were having about cars that were produced in the same year as the Rampion.

Though the Rampion was one of his favorite topics, his eyes flitted back to the waitress when she returned with more food and drinks. He paused just a little too long on the spot above her knees, where the stockings ended with a lacey line. Kesley coughed loudly, and Thorne looked up to see the waitress grinning at him cockily. She sashayed her hips a little, encouraging him to linger on her form even longer, making sure that he got a fantastic view of her skirt as well. He ignored Kesley's hard look and pretended to focus on what Kai was saying about a car that had more horsepower...or something. His mind was really elsewhere, trying to think of things that were boring, uninteresting, and _not_ sexy at all.

Because all he could really think about now was the way Cress would look in those knee-highs.

Frustrated on many different levels, he excused himself and headed for the back exit. The fresh air was a welcome friend after the stuffiness of the bar and his frazzled thoughts. He kicked at a trashcan—a move that had him wincing within seconds. Stars, that thing must have been filled with rocks.

"Everything all right?"

He turned, startled, and tried to keep a neutral expression on his face when he came face to face with the waitress. Of course she would be here. Of course she would follow him outside. Hadn't he bolted from the table after leering at her for too long? He would have ridiculed another man had he done the same thing. Thorne had rules, and one of them was not to do anything suggestive unless he was willing to follow through on those suggestions.

As she approached him, he told himself, _this is not her fault. You set her up for this. Gave her the right social cues. Led her on. How was she supposed to know you're thinking of another woman? What kind of_ _man_ are you _anyway?_

According to Cress, the asshole kind. According to him, she was right. "Just needed to get a breather. I'm fine, thanks."

"My shift is done in an hour."

Right. The next step would be for him to say something smooth about how he couldn't wait for that hour to be over already. Instead, he looked down at his feet and somewhat stuttered, "I'm sorry if I led you on. You seem—great—but I'm—not available."

He glanced at her in time to see the hurt and surprise flash in her eyes, but she didn't back away. "You have a girlfriend?"

"No. Just—" Just what? He had nothing intelligent or kind to say, and the longer he stayed in the conversation, the smarmier he would seem. "I shouldn't have looked at you like that. It was inappropriate and I'm sorry."

He practically bolted back into the bar until he was safely locked in the bathroom, breathing heavily. He checked his appearance. What was _wrong_ with him? He was more than available. He wanted to hook up with another woman; he needed it. For all he knew, knee-highs out there could be the next interesting phase of his life. So he had messed up with Cress. She was just one woman on this massive planet. They didn't all make him happy, so why should he expect himself to make every single woman happy?

This was Kai's fault. Kai was bringing him down with his drama. Kai was influencing him too much with his do-gooder, one-woman, long-term _love_ speeches.

Thorne could actually recite line-by-line the speech that Kai had written for Cinder, that's how much he'd heard him practice it.

He shook out his arms and leaned closer to the mirror. _It's over. You are not going to lose your mind just because some girl dumped you. Get over it._ He took a deep breath and nodded once. _You've got this, Thorne. You are awesome_. _You are extremely good-looking. You just made that girl out there offer you her night. You can be anyone and be with anyone. This is your night._

* * *

"Where have you been?" asked Kai. "We texted you."

Thorne shrugged and sat back down at the table. "I needed some air."

"Ah," said Kai.

"The waitress," added Kesley knowingly.

"Yeah, in her dreams." He frowned, annoyed that he was lately always the reason for exchanged glances. "Stop that. I'm not interested in her."

"Okay then."

Eager to change the subject, he gestured between them. "So, what have you two been doing in my absence?"

They exchanged another look, but this time not at his expense. "Making observations," said Kai slowly.

"Such as?"

"Seems like this joint doesn't mind making sure their customers get completely inebriated."

"That's how they make money," said Thorne, shrugging.

"Well," said Kesley, "a bartender can still try to use a bit of good judgment about when someone needs to get cut off."

Kai laughed nervously. "Yeah. There's this one couple in particular that we've been watching. Mostly the girl—she's putting on a bit of a show, if you know what I mean. Getting the guys all riled up."

Thorne didn't even bother to turn around and look at the dance floor. Drunk girls were never his style, and a recent Masquerade Ball had reminded him of that. He could still hear the typical hooting and hollering from the crowd, though, and could only imagine what they were doing out there.

"You've gotta check this out, Thorne," said Kai. "You look like you could use a distraction."

Kesley looked sheepishly at the finished plate of wings. "I feel a bit bad, but I even sent a picture to Scarlet. You don't know whether to laugh or be intrigued or cringe. It's like it's Halloween in the summer." Thorne took a sip of his water. "She looks like a sexy, freaky version of Wednesday Addams. You remember that show, right?"

Thorne did remember that show, so he turned around to indulge them. About fifty feet away, in the center of the dance floor, was the couple that Kai and Kesley were talking about. The girl had a black wig on with two long braids that flopped around her plunging school-girl neckline as she danced around a guy—not dressed up in costume—who was grinning as if it were his birthday. The black and white striped tights she wore contrasted sharply against the black of the rest of the outfit. Disinterested, Thorne turned around again and muttered, "Hmm."

"No, Thorne, check it out, they're coming over here," Kai whispered urgently. "Watch what the bartender does."

"Who are you?" said Thorne, annoyed.

"Pay attention," said Kesley.

"Just watch," Kai whispered again, mesmerized.

Thorne looked up at the ceiling for patience. Then he shifted his focus on the couple again. The guy held her by the hand and danced them over to the second bar, only about twenty feet away from them this time. His free hand took its time roaming the rest of her outfit, making no effort to hide which parts of her backside he was groping. Thorne really hoped that he didn't look like that when he was trying to seduce someone. The guy handed her another shot, which the bartender already had ready for her. It was hard to tell from the distance, but Thorne was pretty sure they must have exchanged a wink.

"That was her fourth shot just since you've been gone," said Kesley.

"That guy should be reported, don't you think?" asked Kai. "You hang out in bars and clubs more than we do, Thorne. Isn't that kind of unethical?"

"Unless they're together and they paid the bartender beforehand," Thorne murmured, taking another sip.

The girl took the shot and downed it, before raising her glass in the air victoriously as her dance partner and the bartender high-fived. On her tiptoes, because she was rather short, she put the shot glass back on the bar and finally turned around, grinning broadly.

Thorne choked on the water he was drinking.

Kai pounded him on the back, but Thorne was already past his coughing fit, swearing almost incoherently.

"What? What?" asked Kai.

Thorne dragged his hand down his face. He covered his mouth, trying to keep himself from shaking.

"Does he know her?" asked Kai.

 _Did he know her._ He would know that smile anywhere. Now that it was so obvious, he couldn't believe he hadn't recognized her earlier, costume and all. "It's Cress," he whispered. He faced the two of them so he wouldn't have to look at her.

"Oh… _oh_ ," said Kesley. "Shit."

"Wait, what?" said Kai. "No way! You're confused."

Thorne swallowed. "I never actually told you how I met Cress, did I?"

"In the elevator."

"No, we'd already met."

"But—"

"Excuse me," said Thorne.

Kai and Kesley stared up at him as he rose, hands fisted. He didn't bother trying to compose himself as he stormed towards the dance floor. Halfway there, eyes focused only the dancing girl dressed in black and the way the guy was moving himself against her, he took a deep, steadying breath and uncurled his fists. He knocked into some people that were dancing in his path by accident, but he didn't stop to apologize.

Seeing her dance made the pit in his stomach grow larger, bordering unbearable. This wasn't Cress. This wasn't the girl he knew at all. This was Rapunzel, a purely seductive flirt. Her nerves weren't there, nor her usual blush, nor her shy-but-feisty disposition. Her eyes weren't big or innocent, only tantalizing. But he knew better; Rapunzel combined with alcohol would soon lead to loopy smiles through half-lidded eyes.

He cursed. She was shutting it all out again. Numbing herself just like he numbed himself with women.

_He had done this. This was his fault._

He stepped right in front of them, nearly sandwiching Cress between his chest and her partner's back as he stared the idiotic guy down. Cress somehow continued dancing, but he ignored her, choosing instead to yell over the music. "Can't you tell she's completely drunk?"

The guy made a face and put a hand protectively around Cress' waist. "So?"

"So _screw you_ if you think I'm going to let you take advantage of her!" He didn't even wait for him to respond, just shoved him away from Cress. Then he bent down and threw her over his shoulder the way he always had. She squealed as she was flipped, but he held onto her legs firmly as he faced the guy again. His birthday smile was gone, replaced by anger. "I've got my buddies and her boss here with me," Thorne shouted, pointing behind him with his thumb, "in case you have anything else to say."

He began to walk, and within seconds Cress was pounding against his shoulder blades. "Put me down!"

"Yeah, like that's happening."

"Put! Me! Down!"

She kept hitting him, and they were drawing attention now, but Thorne didn't care. He kept walking, only grimacing when he briefly made eye contact with Kai and Kesley. Choosing for once not to take the easy route, he decided not to involve them. No, this was something he needed to do on his own. His back was sweating now with the effort it was taking to keep Cress over his shoulder. She was squirming about so much that he was certain he wouldn't last much longer. Relieved at the sight of the bathroom, he pushed the door open and then kicked it closed behind him before he finally set Cress on the ground in front of the sink and turned on the water.

She scrambled, but he locked his arms around her so she couldn't dart away from him or the sink. "Splash your face, Cress."

She spun around, facing him, and they were almost in an embrace with the way he had his arms splayed out as a barrier on both sides of her. Their eyes clashed. "Thorne?"

His voice was strained, rough. "You didn't know it was me until just now?"

"I didn't see you."

"You're drunk. Splash your face. Come on, don't make me do it."

She shoved her side against his arm, but he only sighed with exhaustion. He was stronger than her, and they both knew it. Under other circumstances, he wouldn't have put up a fight, but he'd seen just how much this lightweight could not hold her liquor.

"Ugh!" Narrowing her eyes, she twisted back to face the sink. In the mirror, he saw her study the running water, hypnotized. He studied her—the way her wig hid the top of her face with frazzled, glossy, black wisps. Her braids were long enough that one of them tickled his extended arm, and he wanted to rip it off, rip off her pretense. When she broke out of her trance, she reached for the water, and he let his arms relax slightly. She scooped up the water, bending forward.

Then she flung it over her head, splashing Thorne in the face. "I hate you." He closed his eyes. She did it again and again and again, each splatter of water making her angrier.

He finally let go of the sink and moved backwards until he was flush with the door. He slid down, his face dripping wet with the evidence of everything he had ruined. The bathroom floor was cold, filthy, raw. "I hate me too."

"I'm going home with that guy," she drawled.

"Going home with that loser is not going to fix anything." He resisted the urge to cradle his head in his hands. "I would know."

"But it'll be _fun_ ," she said, taking a step towards him and nearly falling over herself.

"Stars, Cress. What are you doing? This isn't you. We talked about this—you don't want to be this person."

A loud knocking on the door. "Everything okay in there?"

"Fine!" called Thorne.

"Could you hurry it up?"

"Kinda busy!"

Cress steadied herself on the sink. She waved her free hand up and down her body. "This what guys want, Thorne. This what _you_ want. Sexy women in scantily-clad outfits who'll flirt with you, and dance with you, and boost your ego. Someone you can take home at the end of the night but get rid of before it gets too serious. Then you can give yourself a little gold star of achievement for being a macho guy." She yanked the wig off of her head, revealing her naturally blonde hair matted and damp from sweat. "Guys like you don't want openness and vulnerability. You don't want meaningful time together or commitment."

Thorne wanted to disappear. "I made a mistake, Cress. I regret it. If you won't forgive me, fine. But don't let what I did to you turn you back into this person that you hate. You said you didn't want to hide behind Rapunzel anymore."

She huffed, but he could see she was growing tired. "Easy for you to say. You walk around and any female that passes you wants to immediately get to know you. I saw how other girls looked at you when we went out, then sized me up as if I wasn't worth your time."

So she had noticed. The girls-looking-at-him part, at least. Though even his ego couldn't keep him from recognizing that she was obviously over-exaggerating, he knew that he was attractive and had never had a hard time getting women to notice him. But he had noticed Cress from the first time he'd laid eyes on her.

"I'm not _that_ confident, Cress. I just know how to act like I am. Outwardly, it may seem like it. But—"

She clasped a hand over her mouth. "Kai! _My boss_! What have you told him? Is he going to fire me for what I did to Sybil?"

Thorne blinked. "I didn't tell anyone about that." Her face turned so ashen that he jumped up from the ground. "Cress, I would never."

"No, no," she said, clutching her stomach, "I'm going to be sick."

She practically threw herself on the ground by the toilet and hurled. He bent down and tried to collect her hair away from her face as she began to sob from the exertion. She was barely tall enough for the toilet though—her face was so close to the seat that she was nearly licking it from her spot on the ground.

Resigning to the fact that this was probably part of his penance, he kneeled, letting his legs sink back onto his heels. Then he pulled Cress onto his thighs—she barely seemed to notice—and scooted them both closer to the toilet before she could throw up again. He shifted up a little, so his legs were angled and she could reach the seat better. He placed a hand on her back to comfort her, but withdrew it just as quickly. The position was already intimate and awkward enough between them, so he just continued holding her hair back as she unearthed everything in her stomach. Every time she wretched, he felt her body shaking against him.

_This was his fault._

He tried to focus only on the way his hands felt tangled in her hair again, but the guilt was all-consuming. Her pain became his pain.

"I'm so sorry, Cress," he whispered into her hair. She was dry-heaving though, and he doubt that she'd heard him, which made everything so much worse.

Who was he kidding? Scarlet was right.

He loved Cress.

She had broken him. He loved this vulnerable, messed up, precious girl sitting on top of him. Admitting it was like drinking a quick-killing poison. It spread through his veins like lightning, making the words feel more true with every breath.

He loved her and she didn't love him anymore, but if that meant that he would break every muscle in his legs trying to keep her propped up, then he would do that. He didn't want to be selfish anymore. He wanted to take care of her. It was a strange thing to want that for someone while knowing that he was the one who had made her feel bad in the first place. Well, that and the alcohol combined with some poor decisions on her part as well.

When Cress had finished, she tried to get up but her legs were wobbly and she nearly fell over. He steadied her gently and helped her sit down against the sink. He sat by the door again, afraid to speak, afraid to admit what he had just figured out. Maybe he didn't want to be selfish anymore, but he clearly wasn't ready to stop being a coward yet. They just stayed silent, with only Thorne answering the people who continued to knock on the door.

When Cress lifted her head to look at him, her face was still pale and tear-streaked.

"Too many shots will do that to you," he joked.

"Are you going to leave me trapped in here all night? Or are you just waiting to see if I go into hysterics from claustrophobia again?"

He recoiled as if he'd been slapped. "I was just trying to help."

"I want to go home," she said flatly.

"Okay," he said, getting up and extending his hand. "I'll drive you home."

"I've been there. And you're over-rated, frankly." Her words stung almost as much as her choice to push herself off the ground without his help. "So thanks for holding back my hair, but I'll pass on the puppy dog eyes and the mask of charm you wear so fiercely but so falsely."

"Cress, I'm trying to be sincere. I want to make sure you get home safe. I want to make sure you're okay."

She snorted. "Why bother?"

He took a deep breath, letting go of the coward too. "I think I might…love you." It came out uncertain and shaky and a pitch too high, and it was not his finest moment at all.

Much worse than his fumbled and pathetic confession was her bored response. "You don't even know what love is. You said so yourself."

They were not the words he'd been hoping to hear. Not all. He stepped away from the door so she could pass. "You're right."

She paused on her way out the doorway. "I threw away those buttons that you always hated, by the way." Her voice became bitter. "Figured you'd appreciate that."

He didn't follow her out of the bathroom. He stayed put, hoping to put as much distance between them as possible. When he dared exit, once again wearing his poker-face, a few girls gave him icy glares.

"Get a room next time, will you?" said one of them.

"That's so disgusting," said another.


	23. Chapter 23

**KAI**

Kai rubbed his hands together nervously outside of Iko's apartment. After what had happened to Thorne when he'd run into Cress at the bar last weekend, he should be thanking the stars for giving him Iko. He was lucky to be there, lucky that Cinder had a friend who believed his side of the story and wanted to find an opportunity for him to explain himself.

Iko had texted him while he'd been at work, so he'd driven over here like a husband whose wife had just gone into labor and didn't want her to give birth in the car. The tie that he still wore on his neck was suffocating, but he didn't move to loosen it. It symbolized the part of his life that he'd tried to forget about for a while with more casual clothes and an optimistic attitude. It hadn't gotten him very far.

This was him. This was who he was destined to be. There was no point in denying that anymore.

He knocked, reminding himself to stop holding his breath.

Iko's face greeted him, an uncomfortable smile on her face. Her hair was dyed maroon today, and he would have complimented her because it was actually more flattering than the blue braids she'd worn at the Masquerade, but he was too riled up. She nodded briskly at him and opened the door just as someone called in the background, "Who is it?"

The second he stepped in, Cinder shot to her feet from her spot at the kitchen table, looking murderously at Iko.

"What is _he_ doing here?"

Iko was not doing a very good job at hiding her discomfort. "Surprise?"

"Cinder, I'm sorry to surprise you like this—"

 _"Was I talking to you?"_ She did not look at him when she said it, only continued to stare down her best friend, who was now trying to inch her way behind Kai, perhaps to block the door. "No, I was talking to Iko, who has some major explaining to do!"

Though Iko was now behind him, Cinder still managed to avert her eyes from Kai's. He took the cue and silently walked over to the table to observe them, trying to hide his bitter disappointment. He hadn't expected her to respond well to his presence, but he had imagined the scenario to pan out somewhat differently. Being in the same room as her made everything ache so much deeper; it'd been far too long since he'd seen her beautiful face.

"Cinder, please calm down," Iko tried, as Cinder rounded on her.

"Calm down? Calm down?! You call yourself my best friend, and yet you bring this- this- _liar_ here while I'm here, in what I can only imagine has been a pre-meditated ambush!"

"Perhaps my methods weren't admirable, but Cinder—it's Kai! Whom you _love._ "

"Loved," she snapped. She might as well have been punching him in the gut. He really shouldn't be witnessing this.

Iko pointed at him. "Kai explained the situation to me. It's not ideal but it's not what you think—it's not what I thought. Yes, he lied, but there's more to the story than that." She squinted at Cinder. Kai couldn't see her facial expression, only her back. "It was more like…lying by omission?"

Cinder threw a hand up in the air, her ponytail bouncing behind her. "It's still lying."

"Please hear him out before you make any rash decisions."

"I've made my decision," she snapped.

Kai closed his eyes. "You have?" he whispered.

Cinder's back went rigid. Iko raised her eyebrows and nodded towards him, mirroring the silent pleading in Kai's eyes. Only he wasn't sure if Iko was really gunning for him anymore, or just hoping that Cinder wouldn't beat her to a pulp.

"If you've already made your decision," he said, "then will it hurt for you to just let me give you some closure? I don't think I can bear you not knowing the whole truth."

This made Cinder spin on her heels. Red-faced, she narrowed her eyes. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to have an affair while you were engaged!"

" _I didn't have an affair!"_ His shouting startled all three of them, and a deadly silence ensued. He unclenched the fists he had just slammed on the table and took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice and speak like the gentleman he was so used to being. "I'm being forced to marry a woman that I hate because we'll lose Rikan Corp if I don't. It's a business arrangement, Cinder. That's all it's ever been and all it ever will be."

Cinder crossed her arms. "You have two minutes."

Two minutes? Where would he even begin?

"My grandfather started Rikan Corp shortly after my father was born, aptly naming it after his only son. It was a small business until my father got on board when he was older. He took Rikan Corp and made it into the business empire that it is today. It became his life—it became _my_ life. We've all sacrificed a lot to get where we are today. Without his work, no one would recognize me today and I'd never show up in tabloids. I'd be living a completely different life." He hesitated before adding quietly, "So would you."

He rushed on before he would lose his nerve under her persistent glare. "My dad took on an advisor when I was maybe fifteen or so. Jannali Blackburn. At first, we thought he was having an affair with her because they spent so much extra time at the office together working."

Behind Cinder, Iko ran a finger over her throat, as if she were dying.

"That's not relevant, I guess. The point is that little by little, she began to influence my father, until he saw right through her and what she was trying to do, which was make the company her own. When he resisted her attempts and eventually fired her, she and her husband started slowly buying out other stockholders. A few years ago, they had enough to soon be in complete control of Rikan Corp if they wanted.

"Luckily, or unluckily for me, Jannali had a daughter, Levana. We'd hung out a lot at business functions when Jannali was still working at Rikan Corp, and it was obvious even then that she was obsessed with me." He shook his head, remembering when he'd first noticed it. "For the life of me, I can't figure out why, because I wasn't even nice to her back then. Even now, I barely tolerate her."

"You're hot, rich, and famous," Iko supplied.

"Thanks, Iko."

"What?" said Iko when Cinder turned around to look at her. "You can't honestly tell me you've never had a celebrity crush, Cinder."

"We brought lawyers into it for negotiations about three years ago. My parents were desperate to do anything to keep the Blackburns from taking over—from losing everything that my father and his father had built. I attended many of those meetings, because by then my dad was already trying to groom me to take over one day, and everything was air-tight, Cinder. They actually hadn't done anything illegal."

He stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "They finally proposed a deal. We wanted the company, and Levana wanted me. Why not join our two families then? An extensive pre-nup was drawn up that even stipulated how much stock I would receive so Rikan Corp would remain under my family's control. The Blackburns would be allowed on the Board of Directors, though, and be integral in future decision-making."

"That sounds medieval." Cinder was finally looking at him fully, her features less fierce.

"I was against it, of course. Thought my life was ruined. But about nine months into the negotiations, I finally accepted, adding in the fact that we would be free to date whoever we wanted until we got married. My lawyer reviewed the marriage clauses as well, and to my great relief, there was nothing in there about remaining faithful." He held up a hand. "Wait. Let me explain. My intention is not to cheat on Levana when I marry her. My intention is to marry her on paper, receive the stocks so we can get back control of Rikan Corp, and then live my life without Levana. She won't be able to complain about me not being in love with her anymore because legally, we'll both get what we wanted. I just have to keep up with her terms until she can't do anything about it anymore. You see? Just a business transaction."

Cinder's brow furrowed in thought. He could see her putting two and two together, and some relief was beginning to wash over him. She'd allowed him much more than two minutes, and she was still standing there. She was beginning to understand it all from his point of view.

"Iko, could you leave us alone please?" she said suddenly.

"But where I am supposed to go? This is my apartment," Iko protested.

"You owe me after what you just pulled," said Cinder, smiling through her teeth.

Iko stopped her stuttering and slunk out of the apartment. The second she was gone, Kai rushed over to Cinder. "I'm so sorry for hurting you Cinder, I never meant for it to—"

She jerked her arm away. "You don't get to touch me."

Kai backed up, hands in the air, heart pounding. "S-sorry. I just thought—after I explained—"

"What exactly did you think would happen? That everything would go back to normal?" The way she was saying this all calm and collected scared him more than when she was yelling.

"I thought you would understand. I don't love her. I love _you_. I was going to explain it when the right time came. I understand that it sounds horrible initially."

She walked away from him. He wanted to follow her, but he was too afraid.

"Maybe you've concocted some way in your mind to justify how it's only horrible initially. But Kai, be serious. You may think it'll be fine, but it won't be. You're going to be shackled to Rikan Corp and that—woman—forever."

His hands went automatically through his hair as her words hit him hard. "You think I don't know that? I'm _choking_ , Cinder." She looked up at him again, eyes sad. "You were the first breath of air I've had in two years. I can't lose you."

"As long as you're engaged to that woman—whether on paper or not—we will never be together, Kai."

Kai bit hard on the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood, trying to force the pain somewhere else so that he wouldn't cry like the stupid, ruined, heartbroken guy he was. "I love my family too, Cinder. I made a promise to them. I can't only think about me in this situation. There's too much responsibility."

"Do you even like working there?"

"I like finance."

"That wasn't my question."

"It doesn't matter what I like," he said finally, feeling his eyes grow hot. "I like you, but I'm still completely helpless to have that change the outcome of my life."

"Kai…" She was sad, but not because of heartbreak. Did she pity him? "I'm sorry."

He'd had enough. She'd made her choice; she didn't need to watch him cry too. He left the apartment as quickly as he could, nearly running over Iko in the hallway.

* * *

Thorne was trying to cheer him up with dumb gifs via text by the time he made it back to Rikan Corp. Sometimes he hated being an adult, being forced to return to real life when he'd much rather sit at home and mope. He'd given himself a good two hours to drown in his own misery before Nainsi had called to gently remind him that he had an important meeting this afternoon and why was he not at the office yet?

He'd seen how Thorne had been a few weeks ago. If he could pull himself out of his comatose state and even deal with the fact that the girl he loved had absolutely no desire to see him ever again, then Kai figured he would eventually get there too. Maybe he'd even meet someone else who was able to understand his lifestyle better.

It would probably have to be someone with equal fame or status, like the women that Kai normally avoided in all of the evening business functions he'd need to start attending again. It was either that or accept the fact that he'd be living a celibate life fending off the advances of one Levana Blackburn.

He scrolled through his phone, trying to find an appropriate gif for the situation to send back to Thorne, but found none. Maybe he was being just a little too eager to be funny with this situation, when really there was nothing funny about it at all. He had ruined everything and he knew it.

When he arrived in his office, a stack of papers sat waiting on his desk. On the top was a green sticky note with the perfect handwriting of one of his administrative assistants. The message was less perfect: _The Blackburns will be joining the meeting this afternoon. Please review files beforehand._

The pit in his stomach weighing him down, he sank back into his chair. Not today of all days—he couldn't handle it. Why had he been stupid enough to come to the office? Kai was all but wallowing when a light knock forced him to sit up straight and look forward.

Cress stood at the entrance to his office, with severe blue eyes and rather timid body language. His jumbled thoughts of Cinder and Levana suddenly mixed with an image of Cress dangling over Thorne's shoulder as he marched angrily off the dance floor. He cleared his throat and waved her forward. "Cress! Come in."

She approached him and placed a piece of paper with typed writing in front of where he sat. "This is my letter of resignation."

He stared at her blankly. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm quitting."

"You have to go to HR to do that," he said gently, sliding the letter across the table. "But I don't understand why you'd want to quit." Thorne had told Kai how much she loved her job at Rikan Corp. "You seemed so eager for this job when I interviewed you. Are you unhappy here?"

"That's why I'm giving it to you specifically. I-wanted to apologize to you, Sir."

"Cress, we're…friends. I already told you to call me Kai."

"It was really kind of you to hire me even though my records probably should have told you to go in a different direction. I think that after last weekend, though…it's safe to say you're probably regretting that decision now. It's best if I leave before I embarrass the company more."

Kai rubbed his fingers across his eyebrows, tired. "Look. What happened between you and Thorne is none of my business." Her cheeks reddened, and he wished he could have been better prepared for this awkward situation. "And whatever I saw last weekend"—great, now his face was turning red as well—"doesn't change the fact that you're the best Internet Security Specialist we've had in years. I'd hate to lose you."

She looked down at her feet.

"I'll be sure to tell HR that as well when they call over here inquiring about that letter."

She looked back up at him, somewhat hopeful.

"Why don't you think about it a few more days? Let things blow over."

Cress bit her lip. "Okay. Thanks, Kai."

He tried to smile encouragingly. "Anytime."

When she headed out the door, he wished that he could say so much more to her—to talk to her about Thorne, to tell her to give the guy another chance. But he knew it wasn't his place, neither as a boss or a friend. Cress had to make up her own mind about Thorne, no matter how badly that might hurt him. He couldn't force her to love him.

Just like Kai couldn't force Cinder to love him.


	24. Chapter 24

With the Blackburns in town, Kai was barely able to complete any tasks normally required of someone of his position. Instead, he spent nearly two weeks babysitting Levana, who was suddenly incapable of going anywhere without him after their day-long meetings. She insisted that she had missed him so much after their _amazing_ trip to Venice, so how could he throw away the precious time they had together while she was there?

He was developing a nervous twitch around her. He took practiced, measured breaths a lot to refrain from gagging or screaming out loud in her presence whenever she said his name. It was a whiny pout that drew out his name into two syllables.

" _Kai-ai_ , my feet hurt. Will you give me a foot massage?"

" _Kai-ai_ , I want those diamond earrings."

" _Kai-ai_ , I want Aimery to drive us in _my_ limo, not this beaten up old car."

" _Kai-ai_ , will you hold my purse?"

" _Kai-ai_ , does this dress make me look fat?"

" _Kai-ai_ , are you absolutely sure you don't want to fool around until we get married?"

He had to smirk at that last one. His mother had given him the idea to make up a story about a purity pledge he'd taken as a teenager that he was intent on not breaking before they were married. It had been the one line he would not cross. Luckily, Levana had eaten it up and pegged him as a die-hard romantic—albeit a foolish one. She liked to tell him that one day she would tempt him into breaking the pledge.

The thought made him shudder.

It was rare that the Blackburns stayed at the headquarters with them for long, though, and he hoped his feigned patience would pay off with them leaving as quickly as they'd come. Levana jetted all over the world in search of the latest fashion trends and beauty products. He also knew that when she disappeared for extended periods of time, she was usually recovering from her latest round of plastic surgery. She had a complex about her body—he'd known that about her since they were younger. He could barely remember what she'd looked like back when she was in college and had just started her journey in 'perfecting' her body.

And she did look perfect. Too perfect. It was like she had stepped off the cover of a magazine, air-brushed and ready to go. It was quite obvious that her body had been altered. Some men appreciated it; Kai did not.

The first time Thorne had seen her, he'd nearly fallen over in shock and told Kai how lucky he was to be 'forced' to spend time with this woman—even marry her. But Levana had not taken kindly to Thorne's presence, to say the least, and little by little even Thorne had started to understand that beauty was not all that mattered.

* * *

It was worse when she got angry.

When the coffee wasn't up to par with Colombian-grown standards.

When the customer service representatives dared blink at her the wrong way.

When a steak wasn't cooked to her idea of perfection.

When Kai wore a suit that clashed with her outfit.

He was still amazed at how calm Levana had been when she'd discovered him dining with Cinder. Because when Levana Blackburn got mad, she turned into a screamy, psychotic bitch.

It was embarrassing.

* * *

"You're going to go prematurely bald if you keep taking your frustration out on your hair."

Kai, hand indeed pulling on his mess of shaggy bangs, took his eyes off _Section 23:b_ to cast an annoyed look at Thorne. It was his one night off and he _would_ finish reading this report. "Don't you have someplace else to be? It's eight o'clock on a Saturday night."

Thorne, who was lounging on the couch in Kai's home office, raised an eyebrow in return. "And trust you not to go crazy by yourself here? I'm not that heartless."

"You hate the center. And my apartment."

"I was bored."

"And you're not bored now? You've just been sitting there."

"I'm playing a game on my phone."

"What do you want, Thorne?"

He gave Kai a strained smile. "Can I just make an observation? As your best friend."

Kai leaned back into his office chair. He would never get anything done until Thorne had to say whatever it was that had brought him here. "Let's hear it."

"You're a miserable person, Kai."

He crossed his arms. "Wow, thanks for that _astute_ observation."

"I meant that _in general_ you always feel miserable," Thorne corrected. "I know I've sometimes shot you down in the past when you've tried to talk about everything that's going on with Levana and"—he circled his hands wildly—" _everything_ , but you can talk to me. I'm ready for it."

"You're _ready_ for it?" He laughed dryly. "You're always complaining when I talk about how I feel."

"Well, you know I think you're just a little too emotional."

"Yes, you've pointed that out quite a few times in the course of our friendship."

Thorne was clearly trying to hide his discomfort at Kai's words with the way he was looking vacantly at the wall. "Yes, well."

"So what's changed now?"

"I'm reading a book on how to be more sensitive."

"You're what?"

"Just kidding. Listen. The other part of the observation is that things changed when you met Cinder."

"Maybe we should change spots. You come sit up here, I'll lay on the couch, and we'll have a psychology session." He gave Thorne two _very_ sarcastic thumbs up.

Thorne just draped his legs over the armrest of the couch in response. "I'm trying to be serious, Kai."

Kai glanced back down at _Section 23:b_. "Then hurry it up."

"What are you doing with your life? Why is your family's happiness more important than yours?"

"This is not your family, Thorne. We actually care about each other." It came out much meaner than he'd intended. "Sorry. You know what I mean, right? They love me. I know they do."

He looked back at Thorne, who thankfully didn't look offended in the slightest. "But look what they're making you do. Is it worth ruining your entire life over? You're twenty-six. _You_ should control your own destiny, not them."

"Shouldn't you say that to a mirror?"

"That's exactly why I'm saying this to you. I messed up with Cress. Badly. I didn't have to, but I made that choice. Don't make the same one."

"Cinder hates me."

"That's where you're wrong. Cinder _loves_ you. She just gave you an ultimatum. It's her or Levana."

Kai closed his eyes. "She doesn't know what she's asking."

Thorne was silent for so long that Kai went back to reading the report. He blamed his lack of concentration on Thorne's comments. Why did he have to bring it up now when he was just starting to get back into the swing of things? Why was Thorne, of all people, trying to tell _Kai_ to be serious?

"You know you're going to continue being miserable if you don't make a dramatic change."

Kai threw the pen he'd been using to mark up the report on his desk. "Everything will collapse."

"So let it. Maybe you need total destruction in your life."

Thorne couldn't have been more wrong. Total destruction was the absolute last thing that he needed in his life right now. "I could do all that, and it might not even work out with Cinder anyway," he deflected.

"I guess that's another choice you'll have to make," said Thorne, shrugging. Why was Thorne acting like he was just talking about the weather? How could he be so casual about this? "I was too much of an idiot to think about the good things that were happening to me with Cress. And honestly—" Thorne cringed, as if what he were about to say would cause him a lot of pain. He shook his head. "Afraid. Yeah, I said it. Afraid. And look where that got me."

If Kai weren't so shocked at Thorne admitting to having an insecurity, he might have laughed or made a joke at Thorne's expense. Instead, he seized the opportunity to turn the tables. "So are you going to contact Cress?"

"No." Thorne put his hands in his pockets. "I think I've done enough damage for now. She needs some time away from me. Besides, I've thought about what she said. I don't really know anything about…well, being in relationships."

"But you're not scared you'll lose her?"

"I've already lost her."

"So fight for her. You're not engaged. You're not…I don't know, _anything_."

"I don't think it's a good idea. I've hurt her enough. She made it really clear that she basically never wanted to see me again."

"Maybe, but Scarlet said that she wouldn't have acted that way if she didn't still care, remember? Too much alcohol plus a surprise encounter with an ex can make anyone say things they don't mean."

Thorne was practically squirming on the couch. "I don't know, man. Maybe I just need to figure out my life before I can try to include someone else in it."

"So I'm not supposed to let my family dictate the future of my life but you're going to allow yours, who you don't even talk to anymore, to dictate yours?"

Thorne wrung his hands. "Can we talk about something else? Or maybe just not talk at all?"

Exasperated, Kai turned back to his report. "You're the one who brought it up."

"You still got an Xbox?"

"It's in the entertainment room, probably on a shelf somewhere."

Thorne snorted, then spoke in a haughty voice. "Well I'll be in the _entertainment room_ , then."

When Thorne had left and Kai had read the same page twenty times without understanding anything, he trotted over to the couch and flung himself into it face-first.

* * *

Jannali Blackburn was possibly even more annoying than her daughter. Marrok Blackburn, on the other hand, just sat there with a faintly disinterested expression on his face as his wife commanded the room. Everyone just bowed down to her as if she were a queen and they were her loyal subjects, ready to do her bidding at a whim. He supposed that made Levana the spoiled little princess.

It might have been because he had spent far too much consecutive time with Levana. It might have been because his conversation with Thorne was still grating into his bones. It might have been because he was fed up with how much bullshit his parents took from the Blackburns. It might have been because of his zombie-like state after trying to catch up on all the work he'd missed.

Whatever the reason, Kai lost it when Jannali started telling everyone that _he_ was the weak link of Rikan Corp.

If he were a violent man, he probably would have thrown all three Blackburns out of the 27th floor window at that very moment. It was a good thing that he didn't have such tendencies; there were currently too many would-be witnesses in the room with him anyway. Then again, Levana probably wouldn't even die. All of her plastic surgery—including but not limited to what he was sure _had_ to be butt implants—would likely serve as a proper cushion to break her fall.

Instead, Kai shot to his feet and threw the thick stack of papers in front of him into the air. They rained back down on them. "I can't even—! This is—!"

"Kai, calm yourself." His father stood up as well, a sternness clouding his normally placating eyes. Everyone else in the room remained silent. Even Jannali, for once, had shut up, mesmerized by his reaction.

"You!" He pointed at Jannali. "You are ruining my father's company. And everyone here"—he waved his hands at the rest of the Board of Directors—"agrees with me! This is a corporation, not some sort of kingdom in which you rule the world. Last I checked it was called _Rikan_ Corp, not Jannali Corp."

"Kai."

"The only reason it looks like I'm not able to do my job is because I'm wasting my time toting around your ridiculous excuse for a daughter! Who is a grown woman, may I add!"

Levana's mouth dropped open, but it snapped shut quickly. He knew one of her temper tantrums would come on soon. It didn't matter; Kai was already throwing his own. This time, he would match her word for word. He would not hold back.

" _Kai_ ," his father hissed. " _You will join me outside this instant_."

Seething, he cast one last disdainful look at the Blackburns before storming out like a little child from the boardroom. His father, who was much better at hiding his emotions, followed him. He said nothing as he pushed past him and swiped his ID to enter his office.

The CEO's office. The only place where he would be sure no one would be able to follow them.

"I should fire you right now for the behavior you displayed in there."

"Please do!" Kai exclaimed, still fuming. "Because if you fire me, I won't have to marry anyone. All my problems are solved!"

His father sat down in his chair with a deep sigh. He observed Kai, the lines around his eyes crinkling as he considered him. "There's some liquor in my fridge. Help yourself."

Kai started. "I don't want any liquor."

"No? Well at least get me some then, because I'm going to need it to get through the rest of this day." Kai didn't budge. "Will you at least sit down?"

"Fine."

"I've always wondered when this day would come. It took longer than I thought it would, if I'm honest."

"What are you talking about?" he grumbled.

"Your mother and I knew that this strained relationship with the Blackburns would eventually make you snap in anger. We're proud of you for how well you've handled it so far."

"Easy for you to say. You don't have to marry someone."

Rikan held up his hand. "You're not the only one who had to make sacrifices, Kai. Every day I watch a small part of my company slip more under her control. I'm sure you've noticed the direction Rikan Corp is going with the recent merger documents I asked you to read."

"It's not really a merger. It's an acquisition, the way it's written. You know Bromstad Holdings will never agree to it."

"Ah, but eventually, not even Mr. Bromstad himself will have a choice. You know Jannali—she's been working on his company too. She thinks acquiring their resources will make us a key player in Europe as well."

"She means _the_ key player. We already have a strong presence in Europe even without this unnecessary acquisition. What she's suggesting will put millions of people out of work!"

His father sighed again. "I know. It's not the direction I would have taken my company."

"Obviously."

"But you, Kai, can actually make a difference. If you choose to see this through, you can change everything." He pointed at the wall. "Sitting in that room is a woman who, despite her flaws, keeps choosing you. So you yelled at Jannali. Who hasn't gotten angry at his mother-in-law? It's practically a rite of passage. She'll understand."

Kai cringed visibly at the term _mother-in-law_. If that was how his father wanted to bend this situation, then perhaps he should have yelled at her a long time ago. In fact, he could keep behaving rude and disrespectfully as part of his _rite of passage_.

"It's not too late. Go take a walk. Cool off. Then buy some flowers. Come back and apologize—first to Jannali, for making her look bad in front of the Board, and then to Levana, for calling her names."

When Kai was almost out the door, Rikan added, "Don't forget. You have the power to change what happens, Kai."

* * *

Three days later, Kai finally bought some flowers.

They weren't for Levana.

He walked up the familiar parking lot to _Alak's Lucky Garage_ , not even trying to conceal the bouquet of peonies. Thorne, who was with him, carried a coffee crate and a bag of pastries. Kai picked nervously at his shirt—it was starting to get far too warm outside these days, so he'd elected on just wearing khaki shorts and a black polo shirt. Still, the humidity was making everything cling to him in an unpleasant manner. It did not serve to give him the extra boost of confidence he needed at the moment.

Alak acknowledged them with a raised eyebrow from the counter and motioned for them to sit down while he finished his phone call. Kai sat, but Thorne sauntered up to the counter and dropped the coffee crate along with the pastry bag in front of him. Alak's lips quirked and he quickly finished the phone call.

"Thorne! To what do I owe this honor?"

"I've come to bribe you with sweets, naturally."

Alak chortled, but moved his eyes to Kai suspiciously. "This the guy who's in love with my favorite mechanic?"

Kai sat up straighter, but Thorne just winked at him. "Naturally. And we're going to need to borrow said favorite mechanic, as a matter of fact."

At that, Alak did not smile. "She's already had her break."

"What if I told you that the Rampion is in desperate need of a new spoiler?"

"A brand new one?"

"The old one's looking a little shabby." Thorne pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and flattened it against the counter. "I want this one."

"That one is a premium spoiler. It's $3,000 just for the part. Doesn't include labor. We'd have to remove the old one as well. To make it look right is going to take some time."

Thorne nodded grimly. "It's going to cost quite a lot."

"Indeed."

"I'm practically redesigning my car."

"I know."

"And just think how much you would make if I decided to bring my business here."

Alak harrumphed. "You've considered other places?"

"I might. If you're not willing to give Cinder a break right now."

"Sounds like a bribe."

"That's business, my old friend. My buddy Kai here needs this favor. And he might need to borrow Cinder in the future from time to time. She's too much of a workaholic to not come back and finish her shift, you know that."

While Alak eyed the paper on the counter greedily, Kai sat there, impressed at Thorne's persuasion abilities. He really would have a lot of potential in the business world, if he would ever consider taking on an actual job.

"Fine," Alak said. "You can have her. But I want you back in here next week with the Rampion to discuss the plans."

"Why don't we take a look right now?" said Thorne. "She's sitting in the parking lot and is definitely in need of some attention.

Alak hopped off his stool and disappeared into the garage. Thorne sat down next to Kai and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck, buddy."

"Thanks. I owe you."

"I know. I'll be sending you the bill once the spoiler is complete."

They were both laughing when Alak came back in the shop with Cinder in tow.

Kai jumped up immediately. "Cinder—I'm sorry to surprise you at work. There's just something happening at 4:00 P.M today that I need you to see, so it couldn't wait until you were done." He checked his watch. "That gives us about thirteen minutes."

Cinder glanced between Kai and Thorne, unsure of what to do.

"He broke up with Levana," said Thorne.

"Thorne!" said Kai.

"What? If you would have just said that as your opening line, maybe she wouldn't be wondering why you're here."

Alak nodded to Cinder. "You can go."

"I'm not finished with—"

"I've worked it out with them. Now go."

Kai extended the flowers to Cinder but she walked past him and out the door. He grimaced, but hurried after her quickly. When he got outside, she was standing in the bright sun to the side of the building, seemingly not bothered at all by the glaring summer heat.

"What did you do? Pay my boss to allow me to leave? Do you have any idea how sexist that is?"

"I was actually hoping you'd think it was romantic." He scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. "I broke up with Levana and I had to tell you. Thorne was thinking of getting a new spoiler anyway. We used it to our advantage." He held the peonies up lamely. "There's a press conference that'll be aired on CNN at 4:00 P.M. I'm leaving Rikan Corp."

One eyebrow raised slightly. "You're leaving Rikan Corp?"

"Yes."

She didn't say anything.

"I didn't do it just for you," he continued. "I wish I could sweep you off your feet and make some grand declaration of love by saying that I left my entire family and future in chaos because I'm so madly in love with you. The truth is, I _am_ madly in love with you. And you were a big part of my decision. But I left Rikan Corp because it was the right thing to do. I wouldn't have been able to go through with it—marrying Levana I mean. You were right. I wasn't happy. I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life now, but at least I'm no longer trapped in something that was so toxic it was slowly destroying me."

"But…what about your family?"

"I don't know," he said quietly. "This news hit them hard. They're re-evaluating the situation and seeing what their best interests are at this point." Kai laid the flowers on the ground and reached for her hands. He was actually surprised when she didn't pull away. "I was hoping that, well, with this news…that you might reconsider being with me. But if that wasn't the only thing keeping us apart, I'd rather know sooner than later. I just need to hear it from you, Cinder. Do you…still love me?"

Her eyes searched him. Those beautiful, deep, brown eyes that he loved so very much. "You're not engaged anymore?"

"No."

"Are you _technically_ engaged even if you're allowed to date other people?"

He laughed. "Definitely not."

"So you're 100% single?"

"No."

"No?"

"I suppose I should amend my answer. The 100% really depends on whether you still love me or not."

She scrunched up her face in thought, and a part of him wanted to laugh, the other run away in terror. But then she squeezed his hands. "Of course I still love you, you idiot."

Kai nearly collapsed in relief. He wanted to kiss her, hold her, press his forehead against her—anything, but he was too scared to push his luck. He had learned the hard way that Cinder needed to warm up to him in her own time. And he had betrayed her trust a lot. He would take it slow now, play it safe.

So he just grinned instead. "Thank the stars." He reached for his phone. "We need to move to a place where I can get Wi-Fi or we'll miss the press conference."

Cinder took his phone from him and stuffed it into her pocket. "Screw the press conference."

Then she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him. Eyes still open from surprise, he quickly shut them and placed his arms around the smooth curve of her waist. In that moment, he knew that everything was going to be just fine. He would figure it out, he would find something else he was passionate about, he would— _stars_ , Cinder was really into it!

Unable to think about anything but the beautiful girl in front of him any longer, he maneuvered the two of them to the wall of the building. They stayed there, wrapped up in each other, until Cinder finally pulled away after several minutes, gasping. "I missed you."

Kai, still trying to reclaim his thoughts, grasped for the first thing he could think of. "I'm jobless now, by the way. May eventually end up homeless if I can't get a new job."

Cinder pressed her body against his again and murmured into his neck, "I'm not that worried about it. Don't you have a trust fund or something?"

Kai pulled her back. "Is this the part where you tell me you were only with me for my money?"

She laughed. "Of course."

"Seriously though, I have to think about what my next career move is." He took her hand and reluctantly began to lead her back around the building. "First I think I should take a small vacation, though."

"Where will you go?"

"Nowhere. I just want to sit at home and do absolutely nothing. Not have to worry about anything." He grinned at her. "Besides you, of course."

They stopped in front of the entrance to the garage.

"I should probably get back inside," she said.

"But I have you for at least another half hour. Alak doesn't know we're skipping the press conference."

"How about you let me finish working and I'll see you in a few hours when I'm off? I'm only working until seven tonight."

"That's three hours from now," he whined.

"Some of us have jobs."

"I'm unemployed for like, ten seconds and you're already holding that against me."

Cinder kissed him again. "I've got to keep you on your toes."

"You know, one positive thing about this is that you won't have to worry about the fame anymore. After, of course, the paparazzi has a field day with me leaving Rikan Corp."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "You think it was the fame that bothered me? Did you forget who my late stepfather was?"

"He wasn't _that_ famous."

"Shut up."

"Kiss me again and I will."


	25. Chapter 25

**THORNE**

A few months ago, Thorne would never have imagined spending his Saturday afternoons doing anything but getting ready for whatever fun event he had planned for later that Saturday evening. On this blisteringly hot and humid afternoon in early August, he was somewhat cursing himself for having shown just a little too much enthusiasm at the idea of accompanying Kai and Cinder on their outing. But Cinder was restoring a _1964 Aston Martin DB5_. How could he have turned that down?

Unfortunately, he hadn't quite grasped just how much the classic car was nowhere near working condition. Where Cinder said restoring, anyone else would argue that her definition of the word was loose: it was more like _rebuilding_. Hence, why he was now warily searching through piles of other people's crap at a junkyard.

"How long are we going to be stuck here?" he asked Kai, wrinkling his nose at the smell. It was more of a heated rubber smell, which was much better than a heated garbage smell, he supposed, but the sun was blinding and he was unhappy about the farmer's tan he would probably have tomorrow.

Kai cringed and wiped his brow before turning over a scrap of metal, revealing a stack of deflated tires—bike tires. "She wants a timing belt."

A rat scurried by them after they unearthed the next pile, making both of them jump and then pretend that they hadn't been startled. Thorne cleared his throat and stepped back to examine the entire junkyard. Cinder was more than a hundred feet away, hunkered over another pile. She had grown tired of Kai and Thorne's "glacial" pace and decided to continue searching on her own. Kai had warned Thorne not to say anything, because Cinder had only reluctantly agreed to allow them both to come with her.

Though things were going well between the two of them, she was used to operating solo. Kai, on the other hand, was having trouble getting used to being by himself all day. Still trying to figure out his next career path, he had a lot of extra time on his hands. Not that Cinder really minded—she was lighting up like the moon these days too—but Cinder had a job and Kai didn't. Thorne loved it because he got to spend more time with his best friend, but Kai struggled with feeling useless and without a purpose. He was a new man though, without Rikan Corp. The air of hopelessness that used to cling to him had evaporated.

Thorne grunted and pulled off his shirt, depositing it on top of a pile with a flick of his wrist. It was too dirty already for him to care if it got more crap on it.

"Thorne!" Kai hissed, looking scandalized.

"What? It's probably a hundred degrees out here."

"Cinder is coming back here. Look." He pointed at Cinder, who was indeed making her way back.

"Kai, if Cinder's going to be hanging out with us she's going to have to get used to the real me."

"You're the one hanging out with _us_."

"That hurts, Kai. Bros before—" he cut himself off and flashed Cinder a charming smile as she approached. "Can we go already?"

She was empty-handed and glum. "I guess we'll have to leave sooner or later. You guys have any more luck than me?"

"Unfortunately not," said Kai, taking her hand. "We'll find something useful soon, I'm sure."

"How can you even hold hands in this heat?" asked Thorne. Cinder and Kai just grinned at each other. "Don't go all lovey-dovey on me now," he warned. But he gave them some privacy and began the long walk to his car.

He would be basking in the glory of air-conditioning while Kai and Cinder continued searching.

* * *

Kai told Thorne about his idea a week later, when he burst into Thorne's house at 11:00 A.M. on a Tuesday. Thorne, eating brunch and catching up on his social media feeds, nearly fell out of his kitchen barstool when the front door slammed shut. He was not used to having visitors at this hour; though he enjoyed it, he was still getting used to having Kai come over during traditional work hours. It was such a stark contrast to the Kai that he practically had to drag away from his desk for the last two years.

"I've got it!" said Kai, plopping a thick stack of papers down on the kitchen counter.

Thorne swallowed his food. "Someone's chipper."

Kai came around the counter and sat in the barstool next to him. He took Thorne's cereal bowl away and slid the stack of papers into the vacant spot in front of him. He scowled at Kai, but Kai just placed a hand on top of the papers. "I'm starting my own non-profit!"

Thorne reached across Kai and retrieved his bowl. He held it protectively in his hands. "Exciting stuff."

"Could you show more enthusiasm? This is the start of something _big._ I can feel it."

"I said it was exciting stuff," he replied, then spooned some cereal into his mouth.

"I want you to be my business partner."

Thorne nearly choked. "I'm sorry?"

"I've thought about it a lot. I even talked it over with Cinder. I want you to head up this non-profit organization with me."

Was Kai drunk on this Tuesday morning? He was so shocked at Kai's news that all he could do was stupidly blurt out, "But _why_?"

"You're smart, Thorne. You know a lot about finance even if you don't have a degree." He gestured around the kitchen. "Look at what you've built for yourself just by messing around with your stocks. If you would have asked me about this six years ago, I would have told you that you'd probably end up homeless."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence."

Kai gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "Come on, anyone who learns about your life thinks it's pretty unrealistic. And how sustainable is it, really?"

"If I were worried about finances, I could just get a job, Kai."

"But you won't. We both know that's not your style. You hate having other people telling you what to do. Isn't that right, _Captain_ Thorne?"

Thorne frowned at Kai's use of the old nickname. Of course he didn't want anyone telling him what to do. Look at how far that had gotten Kai. He would not be marrying _anyone_ he didn't want to, thank you very much.

"You're also great at persuasion," Kai continued. "You can talk your way out of anything. Just think of how you'd do in business negotiations."

"And I'm going to talk my way out of this conversation," he said, stepping down from the stool and taking his cereal bowl to the sink.

"Just take a look at what I brought over. I laid out some proposals, but I want your ideas. That's the bulk of the papers, and the rest of it is everything you've ever wanted to know about starting a non-profit."

"I like _profit,_ Kai."

Kai's enthusiasm didn't waver one bit. "It's not like you wouldn't make any money! It's just that the extra money we make wouldn't be given to shareholders. It would be redistributed as resources for our projects." When Thorne didn't answer, Kai got off the stool. "Just…think about it, ok? I think it'd be fun to go into business together."

"We would murder each other."

He laughed. "Or we'd be unstoppable."

* * *

It took Thorne two days before he actually sat down and started seriously reading the pages that Kai had brought over. The page underneath the fancy cover page started out with a typed letter—of sorts—addressed to Thorne. He decided to call it a note, because the idea of Kai typing out a letter to him when he could just call him was rather strange. Kai spent a page or so detailing what he thought Thorne's strengths were and how they could be useful for this initiative. Thorne did not skim that section, as flattery was something he appreciated at all times. Kai then mentioned that he was willing to front the start-up money from his personal accounts. Well, at least he wasn't asking Thorne to do that.

Kai _was_ asking Thorne to use his skills to help other people. Rikan Corp, under the influence of Jannali Blackburn, was about to do some sort of take over and end up letting millions of people go in Europe when they merged with a different company. It was one of the factors that had made it hardest for Kai to leave. Maybe if he had stayed, he could have helped save people's livelihoods. It was a bit of a boo-hoo sob story to Thorne, but Kai left him an open-ended question: "Have you ever wanted to help anyone?"

It was vague, and Thorne figured that if he ever did join up with Kai, they'd have to work on the way he phrased things. Kai might be good at finance and directing others, but he was not very good at convincing other people to do the things he wanted. Least of all Thorne.

Still, even if he tried to ignore it, the question clawed at him for the rest of the day. Lately, the only person he'd felt like helping was himself. It made him feel selfish, but he was used to that.

When he was lying in bed at night and his thoughts drifted back to the topic, he couldn't help but berate himself. It wasn't true; he'd done a lot to try to help Kai in the last two years. Maybe he didn't make big, showy gestures, but he'd been there for him while Levana slowly destroyed his life. No, he wasn't entirely selfish, he decided. He'd also found Cinder for him. Granted, that had been partially to get Kai out of his annoying, self-hating, depressed state, but it had to earn him some points, if there were ever a score card.

And then there was someone else he'd wanted to help: Cress. He stared up at the ceiling and wondered what she was doing in this very moment. Now that he was no longer hanging out with her, did she go to bed early? Had she already found another guy to cuddle up with before she fell asleep? Was she lying in her own bed in the bedroom without the door at this very moment?

He had taken advantage of her, starting with the way he'd tried to make it a game to coax out both of her personalities. But that had been before he had really gotten to know her. Even if he'd screwed everything up with Darla, he could recognize now that he _had_ felt something when he was with her. The feelings had been foreign to him—a strange language he hadn't been familiar with. But it had felt natural to be around her. She had made him do things selflessly even if he hadn't noticed it at the time.

And then there was the night she'd told him about her childhood. The thought of her locked up in a small room for days on end still knotted his stomach the same way it did every other time he'd thought about it. He had wanted to help her that night. Powerless to do anything, he had just let her talk and cry. Maybe for once, he had been what she needed at that time. Maybe he had helped her in some small way.

One of Kai's random ideas had been to start an organization dedicated to helping burn victims, but Thorne thought maybe they could do something to help abuse victims. He grimaced against the pillow. Why was he even considering this? He shouldn't start an organization to help Cress. If he was even going to consider doing this, he should probably start an organization help himself. He was more screwed up than anyone. But that idea probably wouldn't fly with the _Vision and Goals_ section of a non-profit organization that Kai had outlined.

He threw off the covers and sat on the edge of his bed. What was he doing? He looked out for himself and himself alone. His parents' attitude towards him had taught him that at an early age. It was his job alone to earn the respect of others. And he needed to be good at nonchalance and pretense, because if he let other people see any of his problems, they'd toss him aside too.

After giving his pillow a good punch, he slunk downstairs to pour himself a glass of wine. Beer was his choice of beverage for most occasions, but deep thinking that messed with his mind required a Malbec. As he sipped away, he realized that the last time he'd had wine had been with Cress.

That frustrating, strange, beautiful, soul-crushing girl just wouldn't leave him.

He needed a project that would get his mind off of her. There was one already waiting for him in the shape of the stack of papers from Kai. He should probably consider it. Besides, Cress would probably be proud of him if she ever learned that he was thinking about getting a _real job_.

Snorting, he took another sip. He couldn't believe he was even considering it. Then again, if he started an organization, he would be the boss. He would set his own deadlines, his own rules. He would make sure he had medical insurance, a retirement fund, options. He could keep his portfolio active in case the whole thing blew up in his face.

Maybe, just maybe, this non-profit with Kai could turn into something he would enjoy.

Maybe.

There would have to be some ground rules first. _If_ he was going to consider it.

He pulled out his phone and stared at it for another five minutes. Then he finished his glass and started texting Kai:

_I'm not saying I'm in, but I'm thinking about it. Let's meet next week to talk about this more concretely._

He pressed send and waited, before adding:

_This has to be low-key. None of the drama from Rikan Corp._

And finally:

_I'm not wearing a suit if we're ever in the news. In fact, I should probably be your style consultant from now on. You could use some tips._

* * *

The following week, he had his own idea, but it had nothing to do with starting a business with Kai. It came to him when he was scanning the internet for a more advanced subwoofer system for the Rampion. Now that she was getting her spoiler made over, he might as well overhaul some of her other features. His baby deserved the best.

The same annoying ad kept popping up during his google searches, which was even _more_ annoying because it had absolutely nothing to do with cars. Google seemed to think that Thorne would enjoy going to the local Renaissance Festival that upcoming weekend. What a joke. But when he skimmed over it a fourth time, the image of someone else enjoying a Renaissance Festival popped into his mind.

Someone who loved dressing up a bit too much for her own good.

He hastily pulled up more information and went to the official webpage. This was not some sort of drunk party; this was _organized_ costuming. It would take place Friday and Saturday, and there were two themes: Friday's was called _Myths & Legends_, and Saturday's was called _Chivalry & Romance. _Both nights concluded with a jousting tournament, but he knew exactly which theme Cress would eat up like her favorite ice cream.

Researching past festivals, he noted the kind of costumes that people wore. Biting down the desire to make a sarcastic remark, he grudgingly focused on the guys' outfits. One could go dressed as nearly everything, from a king to an ogre to a peasant to a warlock to a scribe. But one costume called to him more than others: a knight.

Yes, he would go as a knight.

But aces, how did an adult actually go about procuring a knight costume at a few days' notice? It was too early for Halloween, and he absolutely _hated_ dressing up. He would need to think creatively for this one.

But if he went, he could casually run into Cress. It would be a non-threatening atmosphere. She would see that he was participating in something that _she_ was interested in. Maybe she would find him dashingly handsome in his costume. Maybe she wouldn't see him as completely selfish anymore. Maybe it could even be considered a romantic gesture out of one of her movies.

Or, maybe she would try to burn him on a stake. One could attend as a witch, so that sort of thing would likely exist at this type of event.

He would need to swallow his pride to make this work. The idea of dressing up as a knight was already making him feel uncomfortable enough. Thorne was going to need back-up.

He called Kai. "Tell Cinder to request off work on Saturday. And call Scarlet and Kesley. I'm going to need your help with something."


	26. Chapter 26

Thorne stared grimly at his reflection, unwilling to emerge from his closet so the others could get a look at the final product. For once, he was not thrilled with his appearance in the wall-to-wall mirrors that surrounded him. He turned and inspected his right side, where his fake sword hung ceremoniously from the weird leather belt _thing_ attached to his dark blue doublet.

He looked ridiculous and he blamed Scarlet. At her encouragement, he'd shopped around and finally ordered his costume pieces from _Ye Olde Renn Faire Shoppe_. Beside the outlandish prices on expedited shipping, it was a website he normally would never be caught dead shopping around on. And now he was in a costume he wasn't even sure he looked good in. His friends were never going let him forget this.

Swallowing his pride—which was quite a painful thing to do—he opened the door to his bedroom and stepped out grandly, knowing that sometimes all it took was a little feigned confidence to make others respect you. But the look on Kesley's face threatened to make him run back into the closet.

"This is the best thing I've ever seen."

Thorne straightened. "I know you wish you were as handsome as me. I'm sorry I can't share the wealth."

Kesley just laughed and massaged his hands into Scarlet's shoulders. "You really did a number on him, Scar. We need to take a picture to remember this."

Kai started laughing too, but Scarlet shushed them both. " _Cress_ is the one who did a number on him, Z. I just helped him pull this costume together last minute."

"And what a costume it is," Kesley simpered.

"Says the guy who looks like Antonio Banderas," Thorne shot back.

As much as it pained him to admit it, Kesley's bandit costume made him look much cooler than Thorne. But the star of the room was definitely Scarlet, who had admitted a secret passion for Renaissance Fairs and had been all too happy to get decked out for the event.

Her bright red corset laced up in the front and accented all the right curves and angles. She claimed that the corset coupled with her dress was supposed to be a steampunk version of Little Red Riding Hood, whatever that was. All Thorne knew for sure was that Kesley would be busy all day deflecting appreciative glances shot in her direction.

"I don't look like a real knight, Scarlet," he whined. "This whole crossover with Flynn Rider was a bad idea."

Cinder, who sat on his bed leaning on Kai, perked up. "Ooh, you're supposed to be Flynn Rider?"

He shot Scarlet a murderous glare. "See! No one can tell."

"Sweetie, you said she loves _Tangled_. You watched it together, right?"

"You watched a Disney movie?" asked Kai, but he wasn't really looking at Thorne. He leaned in to whisper something in Cinder's ear and they both shared a meaningful smile. Neither of them were in costume, claiming they'd had enough of false pretenses for quite some time, whatever that meant.

"It might have been playing, but I'm sure he didn't watch it," said Kesley, throwing a grin over his shoulder at Kai.

Thorne ignored them both and returned to his conversation with Scarlet. "Just because we watched a movie together doesn't mean she'll see the connection." He had explained briefly that Cress had a thing for Rapunzel, but he hadn't elaborated. It wasn't any of their business that she enjoyed dressing up. At least, beyond what Kai and Kesley had witnessed at the bar the last time he'd seen her. "Today is the _Chivalry & Romance_ theme. I should have dressed up like a real knight instead. Armor and everything."

"Nah, with armor you'd be too clunky," said Scarlet.

"And just because you're not a _real_ knight doesn't mean it's not romantic," Cinder piped up. "If she loves _Tangled_ , then she doesn't care so much about someone having an important title. Flynn Rider isn't a prince."

"And Thorne is anything but," said Kesley.

"Aren't you just hysterical today," he said dryly to Kesley. To Cinder, he said, "You liked that movie too?"

"Sure, it's cute," she said.

He sighed. "I'm too old for this nonsense."

Scarlet put her hands on her hips. "You better not chicken out now. No guy is ever too old to make a grand romantic gesture for his partner."

Thorne walked back to the mirror without responding and examined himself again. The problem was that he didn't even know if Cress wanted him as a partner anymore. He had to remember that this was to make Cress happy, not him. If she liked this sort of thing, then he would humor her. After everything he'd pulled, she deserved that and so much more from him. But what if his costume was all wrong and she just laughed at him when she saw him?

He needed her to swoon. He needed her to see that he was making an effort to put her interests before his. If his costume didn't show it, his actions would. He could challenge someone else to a joust or duel. That was certainly chivalrous, and furthermore, how hard could it really be? The people who went to these types of events were just bunch of nerds. The closest they had ever come to a _real_ fight had probably taken place in their daily _Dungeons & Dragons_ role play.

But Scarlet liked Renaissance Fairs, and she was actually pretty normal. She could definitely give him a run for his money in a duel any day. And Cress liked Renaissance Fairs. He wouldn't exactly call her _normal_ , but he didn't think she played _Dungeons & Dragons_ either. Kai and Cinder, though they weren't willing to dress up, had thought going to a Renaissance Fair would be fun too.

"Okay, Sir Thorne," he whispered under his breath, mustering up all the bravado he had. He tried to hold a serious pose but couldn't keep himself from grimacing. When he composed himself, he winked at himself in the mirror instead. "Show time."

* * *

The Renaissance Fair was packed. He didn't know what he'd expected, exactly, but it wasn't this. It was like stepping into a medieval carnival—minus the amusement park rides. Contrary to his thoughts back in his closet, he didn't look out of place at all. People of all ages were in costumes everywhere, and his was definitely not the strangest.

Scarlet had even pointed out someone dressed as a plague doctor. That was a weird outfit if he'd ever seen one. How could that guy even flirt with the wenches and barmaids if his face was totally obscured by a mask that resembled something out of _Star Trek_?

Thorne's costume didn't present such issues. In fact, two girls dressed as wenches had already approached him with compliments on his outfit while standing in line to enter. It puffed up his ego, giving him the boost he needed to stroll around with swagger. That was how he usually walked around anyway.

He had shooed the girls away quickly, though, afraid that he would bump into Cress in the exact moment that one of them was drooling over him. He had already caused enough misunderstandings with women on his own—he didn't need any help from others.

Once inside, they weaved their way through the maze of people, everyone with strict instructions from Thorne to be on the lookout for Cress. They knew what she looked like, but he had described her anyway, stating that she would likely have a wig. He was glad to have Kesley at his side, too, since he was taller than most and could see over the crowds. Thorne herded them away from the entrance crowd until they stood in a vacant spot to the side of a stand selling ale called _The New World Inn_.

Thorne pulled out his map and glanced at it briefly before looking up at Cinder and Kai, holding hands, and Scarlet and Kesley, also holding hands. There was a brief twinge of longing inside his gut to also have someone at his side who would stroll through an event like this with him. Knowing Cress, she would probably _ooh_ and _aah_ at all the different costumes and come up with background stories for all of the characters that she didn't recognize from her movies. The thought of her beside him and amongst his coupled friends only strengthened his resolve.

"It's crowded. We need a new plan." He held up the map and pointed. "Kai, you and Cinder head over in the direction of the _Queen's Creamery_. You'll also pass artisan craft stands. She likes that sort of thing. Make sure that once you've done a run-through, you stay in the same spot for at least an hour before we meet up again. If we're all just passing through, it's too easy to miss each other."

Kai saluted him. "Yes, Sir."

"Remember, if you run into her, don't scare her off."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Why don't we just take her hostage? We can claim we've come from the future and need her to accompany us back to our time machine."

"Very funny. Scarlet, Kesley—you're on patrol on the different food stands." Kesley nodded, and Thorne added, "You're welcome."

"You should come with us, Thorne," said Scarlet. "It'll be more fun than if you're out here all alone."

"No. I'm going to the tournament area. Not only do I need to show off my skills, I'm sure that Cress will eventually head over to see archery, dueling, and jousting. She won't be able to resist. Rendezvous at _Anchor & Mermaid Tavern_ in an hour and a half." They stared back at him, not moving. "What?"

"Show off your skills?" asked Kai, exchanging a glance with Kesley. In fact, everyone seemed to be pressing their lips together to avoid smiling.

"Yes, what's so funny about that?"

"You can't just randomly start jousting. You had to sign up for that earlier," said Scarlet.

"If he's doing any kind of physical competition, I definitely want to see it," said Cinder, no longer trying to hide her smile.

"Me too," Kesley and Kai chorused.

He crossed his arms in exasperation. They gave him no credit at all. Maybe he wasn't as built as Kesley, but he went to the gym. He had muscles. He could handle a fake competition any day.

Thorne padded his leather satchel. "Just call me if you spot her before. Don't tell her I'm here, though. I want to surprise her."

"Wait one more second, Thorne," said Scarlet. "I forgot to do something in the apartment."

"What?" he asked irritably.

Scarlet whipped out her phone and snapped a picture of him before he could protest. "All done," she said, grinning wickedly. Then she pulled up the picture on her phone and showed the rest of them, who crowded around to see.

"That should get framed," said Kai.

"Definitely," said Scarlet.

Huffing, he set off toward the tournaments. They could laugh all they wanted, but he would not be deterred. And when he had the lovely _Lady_ Cress back on his arm, he would have the last laugh.

* * *

As it turned out, one could not just sign up for jousting and dueling, as Scarlet had said. They were actual tournaments by traveling professionals who put on shows. Basically, clowns with a different purpose and less scary makeup, he decided. Archery was a different story, as anyone could sign up to shoot some arrows, but he found that without an audience it wasn't much fun.

He settled instead on hanging around close to the entrances of all three events, eyes roaming anywhere and everywhere for Cress. At one point he saw a short girl dressed like a gypsy, beads hanging over a bare lower back. She danced around freely, in a manner that he recognized, so he made to approach her. But as he got closer, he saw that the small of her back had tattoos that snaked from one hip to the other, and he drew back. When she turned around, he was glad that he hadn't said anything—it definitely wasn't her.

The biggest problem was that there weren't many people alone in the crowds. They were having a good time with their friends, laughing, drinking, and enjoying the festivities. Cress didn't have many friends, so he should probably be looking for a girl on her own or with another person—a couple, perhaps? He didn't want to think about it, but knew he might have to face that reality.

Only Thorne looked truly alone. He wondered if Cinder and Kai were actually watching for Cress or had just snuck off to make out somewhere. He wouldn't blame them; they were still in their infatuation stage of being back together again. Scarlet and Kesley, on the other hand, would probably do a better job. They were trying to become detectives, after all. In fact, he should have just sent them off on their own to scope the place out.

Thorne walked to a stand and finally decided on buying some kettle corn. He perched himself up on back the ledge of a bench where he could observe everyone again. He found he couldn't eat a lot of his kettle corn because his stupid nerves kept getting in the way. He set the bag down and reached for the phone in his satchel.

Nothing.

His stomach did an annoying jump of anticipation and dread.

"Come on, Cress," he said. "Where are you?"

* * *

"I really don't think she's here," said Scarlet. "All the main events are already taking place."

"She has to be here," said Thorne. "We can't give up now."

Cinder reached out and touched his arm, trying to comfort him. It wasn't working. "Look, she's not dancing. She's not at the jousting or dueling tournaments. She isn't looking for crafts. And she's not currently in any of the taverns. We've been everywhere multiple times. Can't you just call her?"

"No! She won't answer. And I don't want to ruin the surprise. Can you check the women's bathroom again?"

"We've checked it a hundred times, Thorne," said Scarlet gently. "She's just not here."

Thorne sighed and looked up at the sky. Why wasn't Cress here? His plan had been foolproof. He had the costume, the lookouts, the lines—everything was here.

Except Cress.

He ran his hands through his hair and sighed again. "You're right. You're right." He nodded crisply at all of them. "Let's go. I hope you guys had some fun anyway."

"Don't worry, Thorne, we had a good time," said Kai.

"Yeah, don't beat yourself up," said Kesley. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

They began walking, but something about what Kesley said made Thorne angry. _Meant to be_. _Please_. It was something that Cress would have said. He rounded on Kesley. "That's a bunch of bullshit."

"I'm sorry?"

"Was it _meant to be_ that you stopped being in a gang and decided to be a better person once you met Scarlet?"

"I—"

"No, you made that decision."

"Kai, was it _meant to be_ that you just happened to meet Cinder? No, I was the one who thought she'd be good for you, so I invited her to my party. And then, when Cinder gave you an ultimatum about dumping Levana, was it just _meant to be_ that you two should be together?"

Kai glanced uncomfortably at Cinder.

"No," Thorne continued. "You had to make a choice. If you had just sat around and done nothing and accepted your circumstances then you wouldn't be holding hands with her today."

"Thorne," said Scarlet, "I know you're upset, but you can't force Cress to come here so your plan will work. You don't have a say in the matter."

"No, but I do have something I need to tell her. Maybe she won't answer my calls, but I know where she lives. I'm going there and I'm not leaving until she lets me say what I need to say."

He marched ahead, leaving them behind. Kai caught up with him first. "Hang on, Thorne. You can't just stay there if she doesn't want you to be there. It'll just make things worse. What if she freaks out and thinks you're a stalker? She could put a restraining order on you."

"If I recall," he said, his voice clipped, "you went to Cinder's house doing the exact same thing. In fact, you even connived with her best friend to ambush her. This is hardly as bad as that."

"I don't know, man. She was really upset at the bar. You said so yourself."

Determination set his jaw and he continued walking. "I'm going."

Kai exhaled. "I'll go with you."

* * *

They all went with him. Thorne wasn't entirely happy about the situation, but since they'd all come together in the Rampion, it didn't make sense for him to drop everyone else off first. In the hour it took them to get away from the city's outskirts, through the downtown, and into Cress' neighborhood, his resolve began to crumble. What if Kai was right and she just slammed the door in his face again?

Scarlet sat shotgun, peppering him with advice on what to say and what not to say. Though she was trying to be helpful, she was actually making him more nervous.

"If there's a guy there, run away," Kai said from the back.

"Especially if it's her cousin," Cinder added, poking Kai in the ribs. "They're very protective."

Thorne turned right onto her street and gripped the steering wheel tighter. "If _any_ guy is there, I'm leaving."

"Be sweet," Scarlet suggested.

"Listen to her," said Cinder.

Cress was not the same as Scarlet, though, and not the same as Cinder. What if she reacted in a way that even they couldn't predict? They didn't know her—only he did.

Her driveway came into view and Thorne's mouth turned to chalk. _She was going to slam the door in his face like last time. And why shouldn't she?_

Reluctantly, he drove into her driveway and put the car in park. Kai whooped and pounded him on the back. Scarlet reached out and squeezed his hand. He pretended like he wasn't completely terrified and smiled confidently. He opened the door and stepped out of the Rampion, the lingering heat doing nothing to calm him down, despite it being the early hours of twilight.

"Spades," he muttered. It wasn't even raining. Not even nature was on his side for his dramatic confrontation. It always rained in Cress' romantic movies whenever there was some big turning point. Was it a sign?

He told himself to shut up. There were no signs. It was just him and his feeble attempt at an apology now.

Cress opened the door partially before he even had the chance to knock. She must have seen him coming through her stupid windows. She stood there, looking through him to his friends in the car. He had been searching for her in costume all day, but she wore a pink tanktop and a summer peasant skirt.

She looked gorgeous.

And mad.

"What are you doing here?" He tried to wet his dry mouth but nothing came out. She narrowed her eyes. "And what are you _wearing_?"

"I—oh." He had forgotten that he was wearing his Flynn-Rider-turned-knight outfit. "Long story." She raised an eyebrow pointedly and he realized he was staring at her. Clearing his throat, he tried to act cool and collected and unthreatening. "Can I come in?"

"No."

 _Strike one._ "It won't take long. And Kai, Kesley, Scarlet, and Cinder are all in the car in case you want to get rid of me. I promise I'm not here to upset you."

Her brow creased. "You just being here upsets me."

 _Strike two_. He glanced back at his friends in the Rampion, who all looked away abruptly when he caught them staring intently at the two of them. He didn't want them to hear everything he said. But if Cress wouldn't let him in and he had no other choice, then so be it.

"Okay. I'll stay here on your stoop and I'll make it quick." When she didn't say anything, he pressed on. "You weren't just another notch on my belt, Cress, I hope you know that. I didn't know how to handle the fact that I wanted to keep seeing you—no, that I was developing feelings for you. Everyone before you, all those other girls, I had a pattern with them. A routine. It was easy and convenient for me. I actually thought I was being respectful to them by making it clear it would never go anywhere."

Cress frowned then, but he kept going. "It started out the same with you, but you got under my skin—in the best of ways! I tried to ignore the growing need I had to be around you. But when you said you loved me, it messed me up. I thought _, how can this girl possibly think she loves me after we've only been together a few months?_

"I've never really believed in love or that it if existed, I would want it. I didn't tell you a lot about my parents. I should've told you about them when you told me about Sybil and your childhood." He took a shaky breath and rubbed at his neck. "I was never good enough for them, Cress. I was always this massive disappointment. I had different goals and dreams than they did, and they made it clear just how much I messed up all their carefully made plans. Eventually, I cut myself off from them. I made a life for myself, making sure I always put myself first and above all, enjoy myself. I made sure that I would never be a disappointment again. You threatened that."

She crossed her arms and stared at him, completely complacent. "It's like you said, Thorne. This would have been important information to share when we were still together. It's hardly relevant now."

 _And strike three_. He was out. He tried to hide his bitter disappointment behind a tight-lipped smile. "I understand. I'm sorry that I bothered you. I'll leave you alone from now on, okay? I'm sorry for everything. Really."

He let himself stare into her beautiful blue eyes one last time, and then with an apologetic bow of his head, he began his walk of shame back to the Rampion. He kept his head up but his eyes down, avoiding his friends.

"Thorne?"

He paused mid-step, nearly stumbling over himself. Turning back to her, he saw that she had opened the door a bit wider, and was looking at him curiously.

"Why are you wearing that costume? I can't imagine any scenario in which you would think it's cool to wear that."

He let go of a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and walked the few steps back to her. "I went to the Renaissance Fair to find you. I had a revelation and had to tell you. You weren't there, though."

"Clearly."

"So I came here right away."

"To tell me a revelation."

"Yes."

She scanned him again, taking her time. His heart sped up slightly. "Are you supposed to be Flynn Rider?"

He grinned. "Sort of. I had a sword too."

"Flynn Rider doesn't have a sword."

He went to stuff his hands in his pockets but then remembered he didn't have pockets. His hands fell awkwardly at his sides. "It was sort of a crossover. Anyway…" She was still staring at his outfit and he decided to seize the opportunity. "Cress, my revelation is…I figured out what love is."

She finally looked up at his face. "Oh stars. Here we go."

"But to do that, I first had to figure out what love _wasn't_. And you know what it's not? It's not what that woman did to you. Or the twisted, conditional version of it that my parents showed me every day when I was growing up. You see, in some ways we're the same, because we were both deceived about what love was supposed to look like."

Cress gave him a disbelieving raise of an eyebrow, but she let him continue.

"Love is sharing the painful and ugly parts of ourselves. And the parts that, in my case in particular, seem unredeemable. Because I have a lot of ugly parts, Cress. A lot of that has to do with the way I was raised, but I can't keep blaming them forever. I've also made some really bad choices that have brought me to this point. And somewhere along the way I realized that the version of myself that I want everyone to see is even uglier than when I'm not trying to pretend I'm awesome.

"Love isn't some grand gesture. I realized that today. It's not what we see in the movies, because movies are all about the big, showy displays of affection. That doesn't mean we shouldn't ever try to make big, sweeping gestures for the ones we love, but it's not really what counts in the end. It's the small things that count.

"Love is going to the grocery store and fighting over milk. Holding someone's hair back when she pukes because you can't stand to see her in pain. Watching dumb movies together just because she wants to. Sitting up in bed all night talking, because you can't get enough of that person. Love is fighting with your best friend because he believes you shouldn't be with her. Because you know that there's no way he can be right about her, despite her past, because you can see how pure she is and no one can take that away from you.

"Love is…love is me confessing that I don't want anyone else. I don't need a different flavor every month that I know I won't see through, because I have all that I want right here with you." He wanted desperately to touch her face, her hair, her hand, anything, but he was too afraid that she would reject him, and then he'd never be able to get everything out.

"I know it won't be easy, but I want to make it work with _you._ I know I'm not very good at it yet but I want to work on being more open with you. I've been holding on to all this stuff from the past, but I want to move forward with you. If you'll still have me."

Cress was just staring at him at this point, but he couldn't tell if it was good or bad. She wasn't blushing, she wasn't angry, she wasn't smiling. She was just staring at him. Searching for something.

"I wouldn't blame you if you never want to see me again," he continued. "Because I've learned something else about love too."

Cress' eyes widened. "There's…more?"

"Yeah. Love is knowing that you want her to be happy, even if it means she can't be with you, because stars, Cress, I want you to be so, so happy. Maybe your expectations of love are a bit too unrealistic, in my opinion, but you deserve so much, Cress. And not just because so much of your life was stolen from you, but just because of who you are.

"I've been so blind, Cress. So caught up in myself." He hesitated. "I-I know I was initially attracted to Rapunzel, but you don't need her anymore. Because I'm in love with Cress, not her." He sank to his knees in front of her. He winced as pain shot up his legs at the impact, and he mentally cursed chick flicks for making it look easy. "Please forgive me, Cress. I did everything wrong. I made it seem like you were someone who was easy to dispose of. As if you were unworthy. When really it was me who was unworthy of your love."

He exhaled profusely, trying to keep his hands from shaking. He had said it all. Thorne waited, staring up at her with as much resolution as he could. She met his stare with sadness in her eyes, though, and his mouth dried up again. _Strike four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…._

"I'm too late, aren't I?" he whispered. "If you give me another chance, Cress, just one, I'll do everything I can to be what you need. I-I'll come up with better speeches, where I don't say the wrong things. I can learn how to be the perfect boyfriend. I—"

Her fingers on his lips silenced him.

"I don't want the perfect boyfriend." Cress' hand moved slowly to his cheek, barely grazing it, and he closed his eyes. Her fingers ran through his hair, and then she pulled him closer. "I just want you."

Relief and warmth flooding him, he leaned his cheek against her stomach as she played with his hair.

The car horn blared behind them, causing Thorne and Cress to leap apart. He stood up shakily and glared with all his might at his friends, who were cheering from inside the Rampion. Cress laughed uneasily, a blush spreading over her cheeks. "Can we finish this inside?"

"I'm so glad you suggested it."

He held her door open for her and they slipped inside. The second they were behind closed doors, he picked her up and spun her. He put her down, but Thorne didn't want to let her go, so he just hugged her to him closely, trying to show her just how much he'd missed her.

She pulled back, though. "Thorne, I've been thinking. Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?"

He slid his hands to her waist. "Sorry, but no. I'm pretty sure it was a broken elevator and a little too much alcohol on both our parts."

Cress wrinkled her nose. "That's not very romantic."

"No, it's not."

"I've been doing a lot of thinking while we've been apart. Particularly since we last saw each other at the bar."

"Do tell. I'm all ears."

A little too eager, he thought she might confess how much she'd pined for him while they were apart. "I think I put too much of a focus on love," she said instead. "I let it consume me. In a way, I let being with you consume me. I think you were right about me putting my hope in the wrong thing."

"Cress, I was just being a jerk."

"Still, it made me think. I was too dependent on hiding behind my fantasies. Too dependent on _you_. I don't want us to need each other in order to be complete. I want us to complement each other."

"We can do that," he said quickly, kissing the top of her head. "Things can be different this time around."

"I've started going to church," she blurted.

"You—what?"

"Casually," she said. "I just want to see what else is out there…to put my hope in. I've made a few friends. I don't know if it'll be right for me, but I think it's a good place to start. Maybe I'll check out other religions next."

Thorne considered her words, though they were the last he had expected. "You know," he said, taking her hand, "I can kind of see you doing that. Yeah. Why not?"

"I dropped out of therapy too."

"Oh. Is that…what you want?"

She sighed and leaned into his chest, allowing him to wrap his arms around her once more. "I don't know. It's different. I want to make decisions on my own and try to be my own person. I've been doing all the same things since I escaped from Sybil. It's time to start something new."

"Maybe we can start something new together."

She laughed. "That was pretty cheesy, even for you."

"Me? Cheesy? Never."

"Oh please, your speech sounded like it was pulled out of a film."

He grinned deviously. "Then my plan succeeded."

"You're so full of it."

"Always."

Cress smacked him playfully on the chest, but as he grabbed her hand and went in to tickle her, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her face.

There she was.

His beautiful, part-shy, part-vixen of a goddess. His retort died on his lips, his voice instead turning into a hoarse whisper. "Kiss me."

He licked his lower lip and sucked in a breath. Waiting for her. Dying.

" _Please_."

Cress only made him wait a few more agonizing heartbeats before she pushed up on her toes and crashed into him.


	27. One Year Later

**KAI**

"Well, that's my fourth paper cut. I think we're going to have to write up an incident report in case it gets infected."

Kai ran the packing tape over his latest box without even glancing at Thorne. "Good idea. Get HR involved."

He heard Thorne snort and resume stuffing his own box. "Technically, is that me or you? I don't remember."

That made Kai look up with a wry smile. "You think I'd put you in charge of HR?" He pushed off his knees and stood, wiping the dust off his hands. "Help me lift this one, will you?"

Together, they lifted the box to the top of the pile.

"Who would have thought that prepping materials for shipping was so much work?"

Kai gripped the Sharpie with precision and wrote out the address he'd long since memorized. "I know. It really makes me appreciate all the work Nainsi did at Rikan Corp."

"Not just at Rikan Corp. You remember when she helped you load all those ridiculous flowers you got for Cinder?"

Kai shuddered. "Don't remind me."

He helped Thorne finish his box and then they walked back to the supply closet for another round of mindless packing. Though it was tiring and time consuming, Kai felt a sting of pride every time he organized another pack of _Eastern Commonwealth Financial_ promotional materials. It was satisfying to know that soon the microfinance application packets would be distributed to low-income families in South America.

Now they just had to make the FedEx deadline for international shipping in order for the boxes to arrive in Uruguay before they did. Maybe if their tour was successful, they would also be able to afford a full-time administrative assistant in the future. So far, the part-time workers had performed satisfactorily, but they weren't contracted to work on Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m.

A blip that needed to be fixed immediately, according to Thorne. At the present time, Kai couldn't have agreed more.

Thorne checked his watch. "We gotta make sure we get out of here in time. I still need to shower."

"You and me both."

They continued working, eventually deciding that a two-person assembly line was more efficient than what they had been working on before. Thorne selected and sorted from the supply closet while Kai remained on the floor and packed everything in as tightly as possible. International shipping was the worst.

"Does Cress like her classes at Luna U so far?"

"Oh yeah, big time," said Thorne, dropping a set of promotional pens into the box. "She's making friends, getting a glimpse of college life. It's different than attending college full-time, and she's overwhelmed sometimes trying to balance work too, but she loves learning."

Kai smiled. "I bet. She does tend to be overly excited about almost anything new."

Thorne turned his head back over his shoulder just enough to give Kai an eye roll. "Believe me, I know."

"I'm happy for her."

"Thanks," said Thorne, then sighed. "I need a break."

He came back a few minutes later with two beers.

"You really think it's a good idea to pre-game before the ceremony? We already a bit too much last night and there's going to be a lot to drink at the reception."

Thorne shrugged and popped the cap off his beer. "It's going to be a long, happy day, Kai. So happy, in fact, that Cinder won't even notice."

"Mmhmm," he said, but he took the beer from Thorne anyway and sat back on his heels. When he'd taken a sip, though, he immediately changed his mind and decided he'd rather have coffee. Unfortunately, that would have to wait for later. "She's already texted me at least five times to remind me what time I need to arrive at the ceremony. She must think you're rubbing off on me."

"She's ridiculous. I have to be there too, obviously."

"She knows we're driving together."

"We're taking a _taxi._ Tell her not to worry. Cress has been texting me too."

Kai looked back at the unfinished boxes, dread filling him. "Let's get back to work. We've still got to leave with enough time to pick up the tuxes."

Thorne groaned. "And the bouquets."

"How did we end up on bouquet duty?"

"I think all the girls have their salon-spa _extravaganza_ this morning so there was no one else to do it."

"No need to sound so bitter, Thorne," said Kai. "I'm sure the girls would have invited you if you'd only told them _just_ how much you enjoy spas."

"Shut up."

"Does Cress even know?"

"Maybe."

"Does she know your first name is _Carswell_?"

Kai sniggered, but Thorne looked anything but amused. "She's hacker, Kai," he deadpanned.

* * *

**THORNE**

He looked fantastic in his tux, but that was no surprise. When he straightened in front of the mirror and held his chin high, it almost made him forget how sore his back and arms were from moving boxes all morning.

Almost.

He popped an Aleve, hoping it would kick in before it was time to dance at the reception, and headed downstairs to meet Kai. They made two trips from his apartment to the waiting taxi with the bouquets and then took off.

When they arrived at the hotel, an attendant helped them locate the changing rooms adjacent to the wedding hall. They knocked and waited until the door opened a crack.

"It's Thorne."

"Come in quickly!" squeaked a voice that he knew without a doubt belonged to Cress. "But close your eyes!"

Thorne smirked and stepped in, not bothering to close his eyes at all. Cress stood there in a slip and white bustier, hopping on one foot trying to pull up a pair of tights.

She screeched when she saw Kai and threw herself behind Thorne, using his body as a shield. "You didn't say Kai was coming in too!"

Kai's face was hidden by the three bouquets of flowers he held up in front of his eyes. "I'm not looking!"

"Sorry," said Thorne quickly, removing his coat and passing it to Cress. "I didn't realize you'd be practically naked."

"It's a _changing_ room."

She fumbled around behind him and then announced that Kai could open his eyes. Thorne turned around and saw Cress looking like a cute, little, lady penguin in his tux jacket with the white slip peeking out beneath. He decided to keep his comments to himself, having learned that it was not always wise to make a smart remark despite how cute he thought his girlfriend looked.

"You look gorgeous," he said instead. "I love those curls in your hair."

This calmed her glares down enough to earn him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"We brought the bouquets," said Kai lamely, his face red. "Is Cinder here?"

"Cinder!" called Cress. "The boys are here!"

" _Boys_ ," huffed Thorne.

Cinder appeared shortly thereafter, thankfully already dressed in a flattering red gown, her hair also done up in loose curls. She grinned shyly at Kai.

"Wow," he said. "That _dress_. That _hair_." Taking her hand, he called out, "You can get married any time you want, Scarlet!"

"Have you seen Kesley yet?" asked Cinder, adjusting Kai's tie.

Cress's hand slipped into Thorne's and he squeezed.

"No," said Kai.

"We're off to see the poor shmuck next," Thorne added.

"He's going to burst into tears," said Cinder. "She looks that good."

Thorne tried to imagine a beast of a man like Kesley sobbing and bit his cheek to keep from laughing. He knew that at weddings it was generally a good thing if the groom cried. "I want to see her."

"It's bad luck!" said Cress scandalously.

" _I'm_ not the groom."

"You'll get your chance later, Thorne," said Cinder. "You'll _all_ get your chance."

"Yes, time to go," said Cress.

"I'll need my jacket back."

Cress scowled at him but he winked at her and she tried to hide her smile.

They shooed out Kai and when Thorne got his jacket he reluctantly left the room as well. They walked along the corridor to go find Kesley.

"Jacin and Winter are coming over tomorrow," said Kai nonchalantly.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how goes it with the _in-laws_?" Kai's ears reddened, making Thorne come to a halt. "Wait, what! _No_ ," he said dramatically.

Kai nodded. "I'm thinking about talking to Jacin tomorrow. I know it's not the same thing as talking to Cinder's dad, but I thought it would be a nice touch. Cinder didn't get a lot of tradition growing up, so…" he trailed off, avoiding Thorne's eyes.

"Wow," said Thorne. "I figured after the whole Levana thing you'd never get married. Ever."

"I've always liked the idea of marriage, just not of marriage to Levana. Cinder is…well, she's a different story." A slow smile crept up his face and he looked down at his feet.

"Hey, good for you. Congratulations, man."

He laughed nervously. "She hasn't said yes yet."

"She will."

"You think?" asked Kai. He played with his tie and then stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I want to wait at least another six months before I ask, but I don't want to get a ring until I'm sure her family likes me too."

"They've hung out with us a few times. I get the feeling Winter likes you as much as Iko."

"Oh stars, Iko...she's one of a kind."

"You gotta love her."

"Yeah."

Thorne began walking again but Kai stopped him. "What about you and Cress?"

He considered the question just as he had considered it a hundred times before in his mind. Cress had brought it up too, especially with Scarlet and Kesley announcing their nuptials in the recent months. They were mostly hints, but not subtle ones, as Cress had never been good at disguising her feelings.

"I don't think we're ready yet."

"That's okay," said Kai quickly. "I didn't mean to push."

"No, it's okay. I hope we'll get there someday. It's just been an intense year, you know? Lots of changes for both of us. We're still trying to figure out what love looks like between us and how to make that work." He shook his head. "I told you a little about Cress's background and you certainly know mine."

Kai nodded. "Scarlet and Kesley have been together since college. Everyone goes at their own pace."

"Cress is going to freak out when she hears about you and Cinder, though. She's obsessed with all things romantic and I'm sure I'll never be able to top whatever proposal you come up with. I'm going to thank you in advance for making your best friend look bad."

"Ha. I'm not so sure about that. You know Cinder. She's kind of low-maintenance and doesn't like big, showy things."

"Just don't have babies anytime soon. Future wedding discussions I could handle. Cress with baby fever I could not."

Kai grimaced and shook his head. "Make sure Kesley gets the same memo. The girls would all want to have kids at the same time, wouldn't they? They're those kinds of friends now."

"I blame you," said Thorne dryly.

"You introduced everyone," Kai shot back.

"Well then, let's go find Kesley and make sure he's ready to go. He might be a little tired after the bachelor party." He laughed at the memory, thinking that Kesley had probably needed his own bottle of Aleve this morning.

"You are such a terrible friend."

Thorne draped his arm around Kai's shoulder. "And yet I will still be in charge of _your_ bachelor party despite everything you've seen."

"On second thought, I'm never getting married."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it! I have one more Bonus Chapter to post that is a one-shot about how Wolflet met in this universe.


	28. Bonus Content

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the prompt: "How did Wolflet meet in this universe?"
> 
> Special note: Ran is not related to Wolf in this fic, and has nothing to do with the below story. As you may remember, he was once Iko's date at the dinner where Thorne and Kai had a bit of spat, so to speak.

The air in the basement had a stuffy feel to it from the combination of smoke, sweat and the stench of bad breath that mixed with alcohol. Uncomfortably warm, Ze'ev Kesley shrugged out of his leather jacket and hung it on the railing of the stairs where he stood watch. The letter P stitched onto the back of it stuck out as if on display for the room.

He resumed his crossed arm stance and leaned against the railing. It was already the third round of poker that night and the newbies playing were showing no sign of tiring.

Jael stood in the corner with Wynn and watched too. Ze'ev knew that the shrew smile on his face was a direct result of the lucrative night they were having.

Their strategy of recruiting freshman at orientation this year had proven useful. Once they'd been initiated into the gang, The Pack had conveniently placed them among those who had presented an interest in the business or even just a tendency for recklessness. The Pack always made sure that the freshman would know to turn to them first. Especially the rich ones.

More than half of those who had been befriended intentionally had shown up tonight. More than half of them were losing.

The booze and white powder on the table kept them happy and numb. The women circulating the room kept them distracted. Jael made sure of it.

The doorbell rang upstairs, forcing Ze'ev out of his stance and putting him on high alert. They had confirmed the whereabouts of the newbies who had declined the invitation earlier that evening, and none of them would make their way to the house without a personal escort anyway. Though The Pack had long since moved off-campus, there was always a possibility that the authorities could make an appearance. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Ze'ev caught Jael's eye across the room and cocked his head meaningfully.

Jael snapped his fingers at him in agreement, so Ze'ev climbed the rickety staircase immediately. Slowing his pace on purpose once upstairs, even though the hallway to the front door was not long, Ze'ev rehearsed what he would say in case it really was the cops. They had all prepared for this scenario, and Jael would know how to initiate protocol downstairs if Ze'ev gave him indication that it was necessary.

The doorbell rang a second time. He realized with a start that his cell phone was in the pocket of his leather jacket, which he had forgotten to bring with him. Growling under his breath, he braced himself for Plan B.

The last person he expected to find at the door was a college-aged girl with crazy red hair billowing out of a matching hood she had tied around her face. She had an impatient look on her face and was holding a gigantic white box with a lacey blue ribbon tied around it like a present.

Ze'ev stared.

"'Bout time," said the girl, shifting on her feet to support the box as an unruly curl flew across her face in the wind. "I've got your cake."

He recovered quickly, though his brain snagged on the absurdity of her words. "I'm sorry?"

"The cake you ordered?" She held out the box to him, like she expected him to take it.

"I definitely didn't order any cake," he said, attempting to hide his sudden amusement when her brown eyes flashed in annoyance.

"It's for someone named Wynn at 12 Old Opera Lane."

The thought of Wynn ordering a cake that size increased his amusement, but he just shook his head apologetically. "I'm not Wynn. Sorry."

Another curl raged against her face but she ignored it, narrowing her eyes instead. "Well, does this Wynn even live here?"

"He does, but I can assure you he didn't order a cake either."

"Of course he didn't," she said. "It's a surprise for his birthday."

"His birthday is in March," he replied automatically.

"Listen, buddy," said the girl, shifting her weight again, "I took the call yesterday myself. The cake even says _Happy Birthday, Wynn!._ I don't care if it's not his real birthday. Whoever placed that call owes the bakery $170."

Ze'ev couldn't help it; he began to chuckle. Maybe it was because he had prepared himself to lie smoothly to a cop, or maybe it was because the idea of someone getting Wynn a birthday cake at all was absurd, or maybe it was just because the mere thought that anyone would drop $170 on a cake made his forehead crinkle—it didn't matter. The girl did not take well to his response.

$170," she repeated firmly.

A thought occurred to him. Maybe it wasn't really a cake. The elaborate packaging might just be a distraction from what was really inside—something Jael would want. That was why it was so expensive. The girl was just here to deliver it and collect payment. The fact that he hadn't thought it as soon as she'd arrived made him think the smoke-filled room must have slowed down his brain activity tonight. Jael was known to use even the most random of persons for his more shady deals.

He would have to talk to Jael in the future about filling him in beforehand on this sort of shit the next time he was on rotation for door duty.

"Alright," he conceded, and pushed the door back with his heel. Extending his arm in a welcome gesture, he ushered her inside. "You're right. One of my roommates probably ordered it for him."

She followed him into the kitchen, where he made sure the door that led down to the basement was still shut. Setting the box on the table with a big sigh of relief, she immediately held out her palm. "Don't forget the generous tip for rush-delivery," she said snippily.

"I'll need to check the package to make sure it's in order first."

The girl huffed and plopped into a chair, undoing her hood and letting her hair fall to her shoulders. It still looked pretty crazy, but in an attractive kind of way. After all, he had wild hair himself and that didn't stop him from getting appreciative looks now and then.

"I'm sure you'll find it _plenty_ in order," she said. "I'm not the one who makes the cakes, you know. I'm trying to learn, but for important orders like this that have several layers and precise instructions, it's the owner who works on them."

Ze'ev undid the ribbons, finding that they were, in fact, normal ribbons like the kind one would put on a birthday present, only of higher quality. There were no hidden messages or surprises on the outer packaging, just a sticker that said Benoit Bakery and a receipt listing the item and price. Whoever had sent the cake had done an excellent job of disguising it as a real one.

"One day I'll be a great chef too," the girl prattled on as he lifted the lid of the box. "I started working at the bakery because I'm studying abroad in France next semester and needed some spending money. But now that I've been there awhile I've thought about getting a culinary minor. What better place to do that than in France, right? Have you been to France?"

"No," he said absentmindedly, staring curiously at the extensive cake in front of him which did, indeed, read _Happy Birthday, Wynn!._ "Uh, what is this exactly?"

"It's one of our custom cake specialties, the seven-layer _Mocha Caramel Delight_. Alternate layers of vanilla and chocolate cake filled with caramel and coffee buttercream. The icing is drizzled with caramel but the salted cashews were removed as per request."

Ze'ev nearly drooled at her description. It certainly _looked_ like a real cake. He almost wished it were, with the intoxicating sweetness of it infiltrating every crevice of his nostrils. "That's a pretty elaborate cover," he said, nodding in approval to her. "How long did it take you to memorize that description?"

"What?"

"What's inside the cake?" he pressed on, deciding not to bother getting details about why she'd chosen that description.

"I just _told_ you."

Frowning, Ze'ev strode to a cabinet drawer for a knife. Finding one that wouldn't disappear inside the immensity of the seven layers, he returned to the table and sized up the cake. How could he cut it without ruining whatever was inside it? He decided to slice off a part of the outer circle—the part that would be considered the crust if it was a pie in front of him rather than a cake.

"Wait! What are you—"

"Shh." The sweet smell intensified, along with his desire to eat, as he took off a small chunk. To his surprise, however, there was only a perfectly layered inside that matched the girl's description.

"You're going to ruin the whole cake for him!" she protested, but Ze'v ignored her and cut gingerly into the middle of the cake, making a triangle. When his knife met no resistance save that of the sponginess he'd gotten from the outer part, he pulled out the triangle messily with his hand.

Was it a _pot_ cake?

He'd never heard of such a thing. Only pot brownies and a few other baked goods. But even that wouldn't be $170. Knife in one hand, cake triangle nearly toppling out of the other one, Ze'ev did the only thing he could think of: he took a bite.

Before he even had a chance to moan at how delicious it was, the girl jumped up from the chair. "That cake took hours to make and you don't even have the decency to use a plate? Or silverware? What's _wrong_ with you?"

"Is'o'gdd," he said, sure that he was embarrassing himself not only by not using proper etiquette but also by the amount of icing that had likely made its way onto his facial hair. Cheeks now hot from her disgusted glare, he walked to the sink and deposited the rest of his cake slice on a discarded napkin and washed his hands and wiped his face.

It was definitely a real cake. He had definitely just taken a chunk out of it and she would definitely want those $170.

But…who had ordered it? A disgruntled recruit who didn't make the cut? An angry client who had lost all of his winnings? A rival gang? The desire for retaliation didn't exactly scream _Mocha Caramel Delight_ , even if they knew how expensive it would be. Had someone simply pranked them?

"I think…there's been a mistake," he said slowly, turning back from the sink and nearly cringing at her face again. "I thought you were here for…nevermind. This cake isn't ours."

"Mistake?" she said, hands fisting at her hips. "There was no mistake. Someone who lives here ordered the cake, we made it, it was delivered, and you _ate_ it. Give me my money and stop wasting my time. I can hear the party going on downstairs so I know you're lying about it not being his birthday."

"Give me a minute," he said. He left her in the kitchen despite her protests, shutting the door behind him firmly as he jogged down the steps.

Jael raised an eyebrow when he saw him, but walked calmly across the room so as to not disturb the guests. _Walked_ was the wrong word, Ze'ev thought, as he waited impatiently, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Jael _prowled_ in a way that showed everyone just how much in charge he was.

"What the problem, Kesley?" he said, his face souring only when his back was completely turned to the rest of the group. "Cop?"

Ze'ev scratched his chin. "Anyone here…order a cake?" He tried to throw meaning into the word _cake_ so he didn't feel so stupid asking what he already had the answer to.

Jael's lip twitched slightly. "I know we use a lot of code words around here, but I don't follow."

"There's a girl upstairs from a local bakery with a cake. She says someone ordered it for Wynn. She wants to get paid."

Jael waved his hand. "Send her away. Does it look like this is a place where one would eat cake, Kesley?"

"It literally says _Happy Birthday, Wynn!_ on it."

"I don't care if it says we've won a million dollars. Get rid of her."

Ze'ev hesitated. There was no way to _not_ feel stupid. "I need $120. I've only got fifty bucks on me and she won't leave without getting paid."

Jael's gaze flickered from Ze'ev's face down to his jacket which still hung on the railing. Behind him, a woman giggled as she slid onto a red-faced freshman's lap. Ze'ev waited for Jael to get angry, but he remained surprisingly calm. His mouth opened, but so did the door that led to the kitchen. Both of them turned to see the red-haired girl peering down.

Ze'ev ran up the stairs in a flash, shoving the girl back in the kitchen. She nearly punched him in an effort to get his hands off of her, but he backed her into the table. She huffed with rage until he released her just as quickly as he'd grabbed her. Not backing away more than a foot, he tried to make his stance nonthreatening regardless. While she glared up at him, though, he had the strangest urge to reach out and push one of her unruly locks back behind her ear. He also wanted to apologize for being an asshole.

"And who might you be?"

The hairs on the back of Ze'ev's neck prickled at the sound of Jael's voice behind them in the kitchen. Jael needed to go back downstairs. Immediately.

The girl shoved him in the chest and slipped away from him to face Jael, who was looking amused in front of the door, which was once again closed.

"If you don't give me my money in the next minute, I'm going to call the cops and report both of you for conning a business and then I'll also report this one"—she jerked her thumb at Ze'ev—"for assaulting me."

"Now, now, there'll be no need for that. Tell me, young lady, why didn't you take a credit card number from the person who placed the order? It's quite…old-fashioned, don't you think, to expect that amount of money in cash. And if you had done so, we three wouldn't be in this conundrum now, wondering who ordered this cake and all." His smile was a saccharine evil and his voice dripped with superciliousness, which made Ze'ev expect the girl to back down.

She did nothing of the sort, closing the distance between her and Jael instead. "First of all, don't call me _young lady_. What are you, a recent graduate?" She rolled her eyes. "Second of all, it's my _grandmother_ 's business. If she doesn't want to use credit cards, she doesn't have to. Do you have any idea about the fees that small businesses have to incur for making credit card transactions? It's not worth it. And we wouldn't be in a conundrum if people like you wouldn't be scoundrels who try to swindle people out of their money."

Jael crossed his arms. The smile had vanished completely. "Get out of my house or I'll report _you_ for trespassing."

Her mouth dropped open. "I'm not leaving until I get my money!"

"It seems to me that you have no proof that any one of us ordered a cake so I don't think you'll be getting any money. Now get out."

"He ate it!" she yelled, pointing angrily at Ze'ev.

He just barely managed to hide the wince that came to him naturally. He was usually pretty good at acting calm and collected around the other members of the gang and the general public, but something about Jael and this girl was making him edgy.

He shouldn't have eaten that damn cake.

"Kesley," said Jael, opening the door again. "I don't have time for this bullshit. Get rid of the girl." He slammed the door behind him.

The girl turned on her heels, surely ready to shout at him, and he held up his hands. Softening his voice to the best of his ability, he said: "Sorry. I'll figure out a way to get you the money, okay? I don't have more than fifty bucks on me right now."

"If you don't give me _all_ the money, I'm going to march right back down there and—"

He was at her side in an instant, his body blocking the door to the basement. "Please," he said intently. "You can't go down there."

"I—"

" _Please_."

He hoped that the urgency in his voice conveyed more meaning than he could say outright. Ze'ev knew that he would take a hit later for having eaten the cake, not to mention allowing the girl inside in the first place, even though he would try to explain to Jael what exactly had happened in a less stressful moment. The girl though—if she went down there and saw what was going on…

Ze'ev wouldn't be the only one in trouble.

The thought made his skin crawl.

"Please," he repeated. "This was all just a big misunderstanding. I'm sorry if we've—I've—upset you. How about a payment plan? Or a trade? You take something valuable of mine until I've given you the cash?" Even as he said it, he couldn't think of what he could possibly offer her that was worth approximately $120.

Her brown eyes crinkled in thought. Then she seemed to be sizing him up, searching his body as if he might have something valuable on his person. Her eyes snagged on the square pendant hanging around his neck. "What's that?" she asked. "Dog tags? Were you in the military?"

"No. It's nothing," he said quickly, tucking the pendant under his shirt so only the chain would be visible. Which was exactly the move he shouldn't have made, because a look of understanding dawned on her face. He had given away the fact that it was important to him.

"I want that," she said, her eyes glinting in a challenge. "As leverage until I get the money."

His hand flew back to his neck, as if to check that it was still tucked under his shirt. He hadn't taken it off his person since he'd joined The Pack three years ago. It marked him, much more so than his jacket or his reputation did.

Jael would be pissed if he took if off. But he would be much more pissed if this unrelenting girl tried to force her way downstairs again, or worse, followed through on her threat to call the cops.

The only positive aspect to this entire situation at all was that at least he would be able to eat the damn cake after he got the girl to leave.

Sighing, Ze'ev pulled out the pendent again, running a finger over the engraved letters. He turned his back to her. "You're going to have to take it off. My fingers are too big for the clasp."

He tensed when her hands brushed against the nape of his neck. She had some trouble with the clasp too, and he imagined her scrunching up her face while she stood on her tiptoes to reach it. He was sure his face was red by the time she finally got it off.

"LSOP962," she read. "What's that?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling naked without the chain lying against his skin. "That's a story for another day." He turned around in time to see her stuff the necklace into the pocket of her hoodie. "Uh, are you sure you want to put it in there? It could fall out."

She smiled for the first time since he'd met her, making him notice her freckles more intensely in the light of the kitchen. "Give me the fifty dollar down payment and maybe I'll consider putting it somewhere safer."

Ze'ev scowled and reached for the wallet in his back pocket. If Wynn was in any way behind this, or _any_ member of the gang, he would make their life a living hell for an indefinite amount of time.

After he had emptied his wallet, he reached for his cell phone. "What's your number?" he said. "I'll need it to contact you."

She snorted. "As if I'm going to give you my number. I'll contact _you_. How many days do you need to get the money together?"

"Can I at least have your name?" he deflected. "I'm Kesley."

A hesitation. "Scarlet." He opened his mouth but she cut him off. "Yes, like the hair."

"I was going to say, like the hoodie."

She grinned, and it actually seemed genuine, which pleased him for some reason. "That too."

"Listen, Scarlet. I know you've had a terrible night and I'm… _sorry_ ….for the way you were treated. But you can't come back here, do you understand? Those guys down there are bad news."

"As if you aren't."

"Never said I wasn't."

She considered him, then the ceiling, as if it could give her answers. Finally, when she looked back at him, she said, "I work at Benoit Bakery. You can find me there. If you don't bring me my money in a week, I'll keep your necklace, report you to the cops, and make sure everyone comes back here in droves to see whatever shady stuff is going on downstairs."

He wanted to tell her that she had no right to make such demands, that she had no idea what The Pack could do to her, to her grandmother, to her little _small business_ bakery. They could make sure that no one ever ordered another cake from Benoit Bakery again. But something about her threats exasperated him to the point of respect, and there were few people he respected.

And he wanted her as far away from 12 Old Opera Lane as possible.

"Got it," he said. "I'll bring you the money before the end of the week, don't worry."

"Good."

"So," he said, gesturing to the front door down the hallway, "can I walk you to your car?"

"Fine," she said as she pulled the hood over her hair again. "But don't get any ideas."


End file.
